JUNE 19 - JULY 16, 2020 VOL. 42 • NO. 12 • $1.75
ONLINE @ NHBR.COM
As economy reopens, New Hampshire businesses enter uncharted territory PAGE 10
Midyear
review
FEATURED INTERVIEW
Q&A: Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut PAGE 30
Industry disruption and entrepreneurial PAGE 13 opportunity Maintaining well-being in a drawn-out job PAGE 27 search Policy proposals target police racism, violence NH efforts include oversight, transparency and training BY CITIZENS COUNT
Neither rain, nor sleet… but Covid? U.S. Postal Service once again fights for its survival BY LIISA RAJALA
The coronavirus has battered businesses across the board, and that has had a big effect on the U.S. Postal Service’s already precarious financial situation. Even before the mid-March stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of restaurants, retailers, gyms and other businesses that typically advertise in the mail, USPS reported a net loss of $748 million in the first quarter
of 2020. Now, the Postal Service estimates the Covid-19 pandemic will increase the organization’s net operating loss by more than $22 billion over the next 18 months and by more than $54 billion in the longer term, “threatening our ability to operate,” said Steve Doherty, USPS strategic communications specialist for the Northeast. USPS, PAGE 18
In recent weeks, protestors in New Hampshire and across the nation have united around the rallying cry, “Black Lives Matter.” The statement might be summed up as an objection to violence against people of color, particularly by people in power. The wave of protests was sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes and killed him. The entire time, Floyd was handcuffed and lying facedown in the street. There are many different proposals to prevent police violence, combat racism and invest in non-white communities. Here is an overview of policy proposals specific to law enforcement in New Hampshire, with a focus on recent legislation. POLICY PROPOSALS, PAGE 17
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IN BRIEF Fund to aid renters launched; eviction, foreclosure moratorium lifted
Gov. Chris Sununu on June 11 announced that the moratorium day, will provide one-time grants, not to exceed $2,500, that may on initiating eviction and foreclosure proceedings will be lifted be applied to arrearages dating from April 2020 as well as to July 1, and at the same time he allocated $35 million in federal other one-time housing expenses that, if left unpaid, could place CARES Act funding to help households suffering from foregone the housing of individuals or families in jeopardy. The Department of Health and Human Services will administer revenue or increased expenses to pay past-due rent. Since April, New Hampshire landlords and housing advocates the funds, which will be disbursed by the five Community Achave warned that delinquent rents threaten to put tenants at risk tion Program (CAP) agencies around the state. The program will of eviction and homelessness while sapping the cash flow land- operate much like the fuel assistance program, with the houselords require to service mortgages, pay taxes and maintain their holds making applications for grants and the agencies making properties. To ensure the housing security of renter households payments directly to landlords or other creditors. CAP agencies NASHUA REGION LAKES REGION UNTRY and forestall the cascading effects on property markets, land- are scheduled to begin taking applications on June 30 and the lords and housing advocates alike have called for rent stabiliza- program will close on Dec. 30. The governor said that $20 million will be distributed in the first round and $15 million reserved tion programs. Dean Christon, CEO of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Au- against subsequent need for housing support. Newton Kershaw, principal of the Elm Grove Companies who thority, recently told the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery that rental delinquencies between 10%FINANCE, and 20% BUSINESS TECH, ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS,range BANKING, PERSONAL ENERGYhas twice recommended a rent stabilization program to GOand expressed “these numbers will to grow.” OW: FEATURE STORY AND JUMPS,concern IN BRIEF, that FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THEcontinue LATEST, ABOUT TOWN FERR, said that while sufficient funding was difficult to calculate, W: REAL ESTATE + According CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION,renters HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, as CHARITABLE GIVING, $50 MOREmillion ONLINE “seems a little bit light.” to Christon, are twice as likely homeownW: AREA GRAPHICS, another TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD After polling a dozen landlords, he estimated that with some ers to have lost work or income. The governor’s Housing Relief Program, announced on Thurs- 189,000 units and an average rent of $1,251, if rent collections dropped by 15%, between $70 million and $105 million would be required. At the same time, the governor said that $15 million of federal funds would be applied to restructuring and improving about three-quarters of the 46 homeless shelters in the state.
$3.2m in donations shatters NH Gives fundraising records
With an “unbelievable outpouring of support” amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 24hour NH Gives event to aid the state’s nonprofits raised over $3.2 million — more money than the total raised in the last four years combined. A total of $3,256,784 was raised in 24 hours, including $1 million in the first eight minutes of the June 9-10 event. “This unbelievable outpouring of support from every corner of New Hampshire just shows what’s possible when we come together,” said Kathleen Reardon, CEO of the NH Center for Nonprofits, which organizes the event. “These donations will have a lasting impact on our communities and the nonprofits that work so hard to make our lives better.” Almost 500 nonprofits from all over the state participated in the event, and a record-breaking 13,428 people donated. Before this year, NH Gives had raised a total of $1.5 million since its inception in 2016. “I looked at the totals in the first 10 minutes of the event and I actually shouted with joy,” said Dick Ober, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, which has been the lead sponsor of NH Gives since 2016. “This continues to be a really, really challenging time for nonprofits, who are having to adapt and work under extremely challenging conditions to continue to deliver on their critical missions. And the people of New Hampshire were saying: ‘We get it! Thank you for what you do! We are here for you.’” Matching funds helped to spur donations: A $250,000 match, made possible by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and its Thomas W. Haas Fund and John F. Swope Fund, meant that every gift of up to $1,000 was matched 1-to-1 for the first $250,000 given. The foundation’s Bio X Cell Fund provided an additional $10,000 match for participating Upper Valley nonprofits. An additional $245,982 in matching funds from generous donors to individual organizations brought in additional donations to boost fundraising totals. NH Business Review is a media sponsor of the event.
— MICHAEL KITCH
Feds decide against early prison release for Ponzi scheme mastermind It appears New Hampshire Ponzi scheme mastermind Scott Farah won’t be released early from prison after all. Farah, former owner of Financial Resources Mortgage Inc. in Meredith, has been serving a 15-year sentence for his role in the largest Ponzi scheme in state history. He will remain in Loretto Federal Prison in Pennsylvania, several victims were
assured, after news came that prison authorities were scheduling to release Farah to serve the last three years of his sentence in his father’s home in Moultonborough. Several victims — including Alan and Susan McIlvene of Kittery, Maine — protested to prison authorities that although Farah did not commit a violent crime, he bilked several hundred people out of $20 million. Many who thought they had invested in secured property,
ended losing their life savings. The state Banking Department forced FRM into bankruptcy in 2009, but most of the money captured by the bank’s estate went into the pockets of attorneys and other professionals Harry Bean, a state representative form Gilford who was cheated out of nearly $2 million, called Farah the kingpin. When victims did not get anywhere with prison authorities, they contacted the U.S. Attorney’s office in Concord, which apparently had not known of Farah’s notoriety. In addition, they contacted NH Business Review, which had published an online article on Farah’s pending release. After a series of meetings, U.S. Attorney’s office told victims the release of Farah had been revoked, McIlvene said. “They really jumped into this thing, said Alan McIlvene, an 81-year-old investor in FRM who lost some $850,000 in the scheme. “They went above and beyond the call of duty.” Farah, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud and was sentenced in January 2011, is scheduled to be released in October 2023. — BOB SANDERS
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Sometimes we have to do more. This time, a lot more. Sometimes the urgency of a better future compels you to act. We are in such a moment, when a global pandemic, a cry for racial justice and a feeling of hopelessness challenge each community. In the face of this, Bank of America has committed to investing $1 billion over the next four years to build on our long-standing work to drive economic opportunity and equality in communities of color. It will power small businesses, help connect workers to new skills and job opportunities, improve medical response capacity and access to health care, and support affordable housing. This bolsters our recent commitment of an additional $100 million to support nonprofit partners and $250 million to support Community Development Financial and Minority Depository Institutions, addressing impacts from the coronavirus that disproportionately affect black and brown communities. My teammates and I here in New Hampshire commit to the important work that lies before all of us. We share the sense of urgency gripping the nation, and we welcome the promise of achieving great things together.
Ken Sheldon New Hampshire Market President
To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
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IN BRIEF NH added to National Broadband Availability Map
Franklin whitewater park receives key wetlands permit
Mill City Park, the nonprofit spearheading construction of a whitewater park on the Winnipesaukee River in Franklin, has received a wetlands permit from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, paving the way for completion what city officials call the “foundation” of the city’s redevelopment plans. The whitewater park, at the base of Franklin’s downtown, is seen as the NASHUA UNTRY anchor LAKES of theREGION rebranding of the cityREGION as a outdoor recreation destination, said City Manager Judie Milner. The permit — which city officials said is the first of its kind in New England — now allows for construction of the in-river features of the project: a section of the river with simulated waves for surfers with boards and a novice to intermediate freestyle kayaking hole. The project also includes BUSINESS TECH, ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS, PERSONALwalking FINANCE, path. ENERGY stadium seating near Trestle View Park BANKING, and a river-level
OW: FEATURE STORY AND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN W: REAL ESTATE + CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE W: AREA GRAPHICS, another TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD
Ever since being conceived and launched by Marty Parichand six years ago, Mill City Park-sparked redevelopment plans have gained momentum, including Newmarket-based Chinburg Properties’ recent purchase of the Stevens Mill, the largest defunct mill in downtown Franklin as result of the whitewater park plans. “The whitewater park was a major factor in considering the Stevens Mill project,” said Eric Chinburg, president of Chinburg Properties. “Often it is hard to invest in underutilized mill buildings, without community support and a dedication to community improvement, both of which we found in Franklin.” — JEFF FEINGOLD
ping, it’s still about 10 times the number of weekly claims filed before the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
LLC, Manchester, filed May 15, Chapter 7. Assets: $13,615. Liabilities: $48,326.
CONCORD: More money in
unemployment benefits was paid in the past 11 weeks than in the last eight years combined, according to state Deputy Employment Security Commissioner Richard Lavers. Just under $649 million was paid to New Hampshire beneficiaries since March 24. And while the number of new claims per week has been drop-
ginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. To register for the celebration, visit manchesterchamber.org/COY.
CONCORD: State revenues for
CONCORD: Some 76 New
Hampshire individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy protection in May — the lowest number since 1988, save for three months in October 2005, shortly after the rules changed and it made it harder to file for protection. The number of filings in May was a 23% drop from April, which was a 34% drop from March, and a 59% drop from May 2019. The businesses that filed for protection were: Cate Street Capital Inc., Portsmouth, filed May 12, Chapter 7. Assets: $200,042. Liabilities: $3,613,283; Neonbomb
New Hampshire has finally been added to the federal Broadband Availability Map Program, and it’s a move being praised by all four members of the state’s congressional delegation. The addition is expected to bolster efforts to help expand high-speed internet service throughout New Hampshire, since the maps determine areas of the country that are eligible for federal funds targeted to underserved communities that do not have access to reliable broadband service. The map, put together by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is a geographic information system that collects data from federal, state and commercially available sources to create a comprehensive map of existing broadband coverage. The data is designed to help policymakers in making decisions on broadband expansion plans. As lead Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee,
MANCHESTER: Peter Ramsey,
president and CEO of the Palace Theatre in Manchester, has been named the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Citizen of the Year. He will be honored in a virtual Citizen of the Year celebration be-
May were a quarter below the amount budget writers estimated. The rooms and meals and business taxes were well below estimates. With many closed restaurants and hotels, the rooms and meals tax was below estimates by 58%, while businesses taxes were 27.4% below estimates, although May is not a large month for businesses returns. Overall, state revenues for May produced $86.9 million while estimates were $112.3 million, a decrease of 23%.
MANCHESTER: Southern New Hampshire University has an-
which provides funding for the NBAM, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has secured funding for the program since its inception in 2018. “The Covid-19 crisis has further exposed existing gaps in our broadband infrastructure throughout the state. This has been particularly difficult in our rural communities, where remote learning and telehealth appointments have been especially challenging,” said Shaheen, adding: “All Americans should have access to broadband, regardless of their zip code or income.” Shaheen was joined by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas in hailing the addition. “NTIA’s addition of New Hampshire to its National Broadband Availability Map program is an important step forward toward ensuring all Granite Staters have the internet connection they need to do their work, learn online and receive care through telemedicine appointments,” said Kuster. — JEFF FEINGOLD
nounced that it will stay with remote learning through the fall semester. The school said it will reduce the cost of classes to the rates it uses for online courses. The SNHU coronavirus task force cited the safety and well-being of students, staff and faculty — the lack of a vaccine and limited availability of community-wide testing as some of the main reasons to continue all courses online.
CONCORD: New Hampshire
Gov. Chris Sununu has nominated Scott Mason of Stratford to serve as the next executive director of the state Fish and Game Department. Mason, an outdoorsman who runs a dairy farm, was appointed by Sununu to serve on the University System board of
trustees representing agriculture, and to the New Hampshire Milk Premium Fund Board. He would succeed Glenn Normandeau, who served three terms.
KITTERY, MAINE: Portsmouth
Naval Shipyard’s economic impact has reached more than $1 billion, according to an annual report released by the Seacoast Shipyard Association. During 2019, the shipyard reached a total economic impact of $1.159 billion, compared to the $882 million reported in 2018. The yard’s civilian payroll totaled $594.9 million, its contracted facility services $295.4 million, purchased goods and services $123 million, and military payroll $45.5 million.
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APPROXIMATELY 70% of the more
than 600 small businesses surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses applied for the Paycheck Protection Program. Of the businesses that applied, 93% received a PPP loan and 67% of small business owners found the loan “very helpful” in financially supporting their business.
APPALLINGLY, only 12% of 500 Latino and African-American business owners received a PPP loan, despite 51% of business owners reporting they applied loans of less than $20,000 – significantly less than the average $206,000 loan amount, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Color of Change and UnidosUS. Of those who received a PPP loan, 26% said they received only a fraction of what they requested. Nearly half of minority business owners surveyed said they anticipated having to permanently close in the next six months.
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THE NH BUSINESS REVIEW PODCAST THE INSIDER’S GUIDE FROM NH’S BUSINESS NEWS LEADERS
A SHRM survey of more than
1,000 HR professionals indicated 53% of organizations plan to return to the office by end of July while 45% have not yet announced a return date. The knowledge industry in particular is more likely to adopt broader work from home policies (report 75% of organizations). Nearly a third of organizations are considering letting employees work from home through 2020.
Each week, on the Down To Business podcast, NH Business Review’s editors and writers analyze the most important news affecting business in New Hampshire, drawing on firsthand reporting to provide the most timely, insightful and actionable business news analysis in New Hampshire.
FOR organizations planning to
return to the office, 33% plan to phase in the return to work, starting with departments and functions that depend most on the inoffice setup. Twenty-eight percent or organizations are returning those with lower health risk first and 26% are returning leadership first.
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IN BRIEF ‘Very preliminary’ estimates see big shortage in highway revenue
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While construction and paving projects scheduled for this summer are on track, a shortfall in revenue from both the gas tax and road tolls, together with uncertainty surrounding federal funding, have cast a shadow over the maintenance and improvement of New Hampshire’s roads NASHUA REGION LAKES REGION NORTH COUNTRY and bridges in the year to come. In a recent presentation to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), Transportation Commissioner Victoria Sheehan said that since the middle of March, traffic counts on the TOP ROW: BUSINESS TECH, ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS, BANKING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY southern stretches of Interstate 93 and the SECOND ROW: FEATURE STORY AND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN turnpike system, where data is HEALTHCARE, readily at TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE THIRD ROW: REAL ESTATE + CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, hand, have fallen by half or more. She said FORTH ROW: AREA GRAPHICS, another TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD the Department of Transportation is monitoring traffic around the state and estimates the state will see volume drop 50% Victoria Sheehan in April, May and June, 25% in July, August and September and 10% for the remainder Design teams, the commissioner said, of the biennium ending next June. are continuing to prepare projects to be Sheehan said that shrinking traffic vol- undertaken in future construction seaume represented losses of $55 million sons. She said that a full schedule of road to $60 million to the highway fund and and bridge work will not only forestall in$40 million to $50 million to the turnpike terruption of necessary maintenance and fund. She acknowledged the estimates improvements but also contribute emare “very preliminary” and said the de- ployment and investment to the recoverpartment will continue to monitor traffic ing economy. 2/11/20 4:13 PM volume closely and tailor its estimates as Sheehan explained the NHDOT is apexecutive orders change and economic plying for a share of the $25 billion alloactivity increases. cated by the CARES Act to be distributed She said that declining revenues will by the Federal Emergency Management have an adverse impact on the depart- Agency to reimburse states 75% of the ment’s operating budget, highway block costs incurred by the public health emergrants to municipalities, the betterment gency. At the same time the department program and the capital budget. expects to receive $39 million to mitigate She expressed concern for the depart- the impact on bus services and restore ment’s capacity to perform routine pre- their operations as well as $15.2 million ventive maintenance of roads and bridg- to support three commercial airports at es, explaining that deferring the work Manchester, Portsmouth and Lebanon. would lead to higher remediation costs in — MICHAEL KITCH the future.
NH Businesses for Social Responsibility presents honors Four businesses and one nonprofit were honored June 3 as part of NH Businesses for Social Responsibility’s annual conference, held virtually this year. Receiving the 2020 Partnership for Innovation Award were Casella Waste Systems and Goodwill of Northern New England, which are collaborating on Goodwill’s Job Connection program, which helps to break down barriers to employment and, through partnering with companies like Casella, helps people with significant barriers to employment get and keep jobs.
Honored with the 2020 Cornerstone Award was Stonyfield. The yogurt maker was honored for being an early adapter of sustainability innovation being a leader in the movement. The manufacturer began recycling and measuring water and energy use in the early 1990s and was among one of the first companies to commit to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Monadnock Paper Mills was named the 2020 Cornerstone Hall of Fame inductee. Monadnock Paper, the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the U.S., was honored for its longtime commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. Also inducted into the Cornerstone Hall of Fame was Hypertherm, honored for its “commitment to its people, the planet and our communities.”
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THE BOTTOM LINE STANDEX REPORTS $6.3M 3Q LOSS
Standex International Corp. lost $6.3 million in its third quarter, primarily due to the sell-off of its refrigerated and cooking solution groups, but also because the food operations it retained suffered losses, and will likely continue to lose money in the fourth quarter, the company said. Standex said the continued losses will be due to the shutdown and then slow reopening of restaurants amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But Standex, which has operations in China, got an early glimpse of the economic impact of the pandemic, and has been well positioned for it, the company said. As for the last quarter, which ended on March 30, revenue fell by over 3% compared to the same quarter a year earlier, to $160.5 million. That revenue drop was across all its operations, and operating income fell as well, but the deepest loss was in the refrigerated and cooking solution groups, which Standex sold off in two
third-quarter transactions for a total of $31.6 million. The pandemic also hurt the company’s electronic division, because of reduced capacity at its China plants and automotive plant shutdowns in Europe. Engineering was hit with lower aviationrelated sales but increased sales in the space market. And hydraulics was hurt because of a slowdown in the garbage hauling market.
JCPENNEY TO CLOSE FOUR NH STORES Four JCPenney stores in New Hampshire are slated for closing as the troubled retailer prepares to shut down 154 stores in 38 states. The stores are in Keene, North Conway, Rochester and West Lebanon. The closings are part of the debtridden Texas-based retailer’s bankruptcy plan. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May. JCPenney has so far been the largest company to file for bankruptcy protection during the coronavirus pandemic. JCPenney CEO Jill Soltau said that, “while closing stores is always an extremely difficult decision, our store
optimization strategy is vital to ensuring we emerge from both Chapter 11 and the Covid-19 pandemic as a stronger retailer with greater financial flexibility to allow us to continue serving our loyal customers for decades to come.” She added that “all impacted associates will be treated with the utmost consideration and respect.”
VAPOTHERM PLANS BIG EXPANSION OF RESPIRATORY DEVICE PRODUCTION New Hampshirebased medical device maker Vapotherm Inc. says it is expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Exeter as it focuses on developing and commercializing its Hi-VNI technology products used to treat patients in respiratory distress. The company said the expansion is expected to allow it to increase production of its Precision Flow systems by up to 20 times above pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. The expansion could mean up to an additional 350 manufacturing jobs at
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the Exeter facility, the company said. Vapotherm described the Precision Flow Hi-VNI system as “an advanced high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) system” that uses high velocity to treat the respiratory distress experienced by Covid-19 patients. CEO Joe Army said the scaling up of production is in response to future additional waves of Covid-19. Army said the company has been seeing interest from domestic and foreign governments, including a $9.9 million blanket purchase agreement from the Department of Defense that was awarded on May 22 to support the acquisition of Precision Flow units by the country’s 51 DoD hospitals. Under the agreement, the hospitals can seek funding, and if approved, place orders to acquire the Precision Flow devices. According to Dr. Michael McQueen, vice president of medical affairs at Vapotherm, Covid-19 respiratory distress is characterized in particular by patients needing more oxygen. He said the HiVNI system provides more precise control over the amount of oxygen being delivered to patients than conventional systems because the Vapotherm system allows flow rates and oxygen concentrations to be adjusted independent of each other.
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Up to the coronavirus challenge
NH businesses, organizations do their part to support the community
Radio group aids 3 businesses after contest
As part of its $30,000 Business Boost contest, the Manchester Radio Group awarded $30,000 in free radio advertising to three local businesses: Home Helpers in Londonderry, which won $15,000 in radio advertising; Access Health Insurance in Manchester, which received $10,000; and Steam Kings Carpet & Upholstery Care in Hooksett, which received $5,000. The contest was run to help local businesses recover from disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Winners were chosen at random. The ads will run across the company’s five radio stations, 95.7 WZID, 96.5 The Mill, 99.9/1370 WFEA, Rewind 94.1 and Outlaw 103.1/106.9.
Harvard Pilgrim Foundation helps NH nonprofits The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced that nine New Hampshire nonprofits have been awarded a total of $7,950 through its Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. They are: Bristol Community Services Inc., Barnstead Elementary School, Friends of Forgotten Children, Second Start, Upper Valley Humane Society Inc., Fleur De Lis Camp, Furrr Feline Rescue, Tomten Farm and Sanctuary, Camp Berea Inc., David’s House, Moose Hill School, Easterseals and Families in Transition.
Sector Partnerships Initiative seeks Healthcare Heroes The New Hampshire Sector Partnerships Initiative is seeking nominations of individuals employed in healthcare organizations who have been Healthcare Heroes — people who have gone above and beyond over the past several months to care for others. Nominations will be accepted through June 30 and can be submitted online at NHhealthcareheroes.org. “We have been hearing incredible stories of workers in healthcare that have demonstrated an amazing commitment to keeping others healthy or helping them recover during the pandemic. While we’d like to recognize everyone that has a powerful story, through Healthcare Heroes we plan to capture and share a handful of stories from across the state that we hope can serve as an inspiration to others,” said Roxie Severance, the SPI advisor for the healthcare sector. SPI is an industry-led program that provides funding, training expertise and other resources to help companies in various industry sectors collaborate on workforce development needs. Any healthcare worker in a hospital, clinic, long-term care facility, doctors and dentists’ office is eligible. The online form includes questions about the individual and why they are being nominated. SPI regional healthcare network will review the nominations and select a few winners and a few alternates for each region across the state. Northeast Delta Dental is sponsoring the effort.
Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have donated $10,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank after it was nominated by Michael Foy of Foy Insurance Group, Exeter, as part of their Emergency Community Support Grant program to help independent agents give back to their local community during the Covid-19 crisis. ‘My team and I have recognized the hard work and dedication performed by New Hampshire Food Bank during this pandemic and we are incredibly thankful for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance for stepping up to the plate and providing extra funds to help the community when we need it most,’ said Foy.
NECU commits $120k to support nonprofits
Consolidated Communications donates $10k to Food Bank
Northeast Credit Union said it is donating $120,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Maine and New Hampshire by donating $20,000 per month for six months to at least 60 nonprofit organizations across the region. Called the “Love Your Community Awards,” the philanthropic initiative is part of NECU’s region-wide Love Your Community Project, which aims to encourage people to practice kindness in their everyday lives. Recipients of Northeast Credit Union’s Love Your Community Awards will be decided through monthly public voting processes. Nonprofit organizations can apply online at TheLYC.com, and finalists will be posted online.
Consolidated Communications has made a $10,000 contribution to the NH Food Bank as part of its efforts to support individuals and families affected by Covid-19 in the communities it serves. “We have seen a 400% increase in distribution this year versus last year and continue to see a number of agencies that have not needed our resources in some time reaching out and placing orders for food,” said Eileen Liponis, executive director, of the Food Bank. “With so many people out of work, coupled with families who typically depend on free and reduced school meals, the need has risen fast and we are taking every possible step to ensure we can provide food to those in need.”
Mt. Washington Valley ‘kindness’ highlighted The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce has singled out 15 “acts of kindness” by businesses throughout Mt Washington. Among them were: • Memorial Hospital created a “Train the Trainer” presentation in partnership with the chamber to give business owners a resource for training their employees on safety and health protocols. • BNI helped the region obtain and distribute personal protective equipment when supplies were hard to come by. • Outfront Media Group donated a billboard on Route 16 to welcome guests back to the valley. • Fryeburg Fairgrounds built wooden structures to be used as a base for sanitizing stations. • Believe in Books distributed more than 7,000 books to 1,500 households through their Books on Break Literacy Program.
NH Federal Credit Union kicks off community challenge New Hampshire Federal Credit Union has launched a community challenge to raise money for Meals-onWheels programs in Merrimack, Belknap and Strafford counties. The credit union will match all contributions to the challenge. NHFCU said the programs are receiving fewer private donations as their key fundraisers have had to be set aside thanks to social distancing requirements. NHFCU has issued a community challenge to ensure these important services continue for senior friends and neighbors. The funds being raised will help the Community Action Program Belknap/Merrimack counties and Strafford County Meals-on-Wheels feed the need for meal preparations, delivery and for items needed by these agencies.
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Becoming profitable during Covid
How can you make more money under the coronavirus restrictions? It looks like the Covid-19 crisis is going to be around for quite a while. And while many businesses are waiting for things to get back to normal so they can operate without restrictions and get profitable again, some may go under before that happens. What they need is to find ways to get profitable with the restrictions, which we may not be able to get rid of for a long time to come. For instance, restaurants have been especially hard-hit. They were ordered to shut down for everything except takeout, then outdoor dining. Even now that they finally allowed to reopen their dining rooms, it will be at a reduced capacity of 50%. Could they possibly be profitable with such limitations?
BY RON BOURQUE
Improving Performance Even if they could open with no restrictions, would people come? Many may think restaurant dining is just too dangerous. How can we allay their concerns and make them comfortable again? Years ago, I went to a steakhouse in Albuquerque. The place was enormous; the food and service were excellent. They had a great reputation. Every table was surrounded by partitions making it a private dining room. There were tables/dining rooms for two, four, eight, 12, etc. They were trying to mitigate the noise. You could have a nice quiet conversation even though the next table was having a lively party. If they’re still in business, I’ll bet they could open at full capacity despite Covid-19. Each table is not just isolated from neighboring sounds but from neighboring germs as well. If I owned a restaurant, I’d be getting partitions installed. If I had a restaurant with a view, I’d use plexiglas. I might lose some capacity, but that’s a lot better than operating under those percentages above. If this adversely affects your ambiance, make
the partitions temporary. Everyone would have to wear masks. Once diners are seated, they could remove their masks, as you can’t eat or drink wearing them. Waiters and waitresses typically stand while serving, so they don’t have to worry about us infecting them while we’re seated without masks. They wear masks protecting us. Social distancing while entering and exiting can be maintained with a little guidance. Other guidelines can also be applied where appropriate. As soon as you get your partitions up, invite the governor to lunch and ask for a waiver so you can operate at full capacity. Advertise your new private dining rooms so your patrons and others will know. Mention the safety measures you’ve adopted and you may find you’re making more money than ever. Admittedly, many of these restrictions are unconstitutional and wouldn’t survive a serious challenge in the courts. If you’ve got deep pockets, don’t mind waiting while your case winds its way through the courts and want to make a point, go for it. If, on the other hand, you need to recover your cash flow as soon as possible, suing the government is probably not an option. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Whether you’re a believer or not, that’s a great business strategy. Why waste resources trying to change things that are unlikely to change? It’s much more profitable to capitalize on them. This kind of innovation may not work for every type of business, but before you decide it can’t work for you, give it a try. Get a few heads together, especially some creative ones, and do a little brainstorming. The question you want to answer is: How can we make more money under the Covid-19 restrictions? I never would have thought of all those private dining rooms until that night in Albuquerque. I was amazed and impressed by the idea and how well it worked, and I can’t recall seeing it anywhere else. Go for it. Ronald J. Bourque, a consultant and speaker from Salem, has had engagements throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He can be reached at 603898-1871 or RonBourque3@gmail.com.
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COVER STORY As economy reopens, New Hampshire businesses enter uncharted territory BY BOB SANDERS
Midyear review
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hat if the economy closed and was almost immediately flooded with money? What if the unemployment rate rivaled that of the Great Depression, but consumers could spare more than a dime as many had almost as much cash as before? And what if, just as we were prepared to reopen, a lot of that money went away? Well, we’re finding out, and we’re about to find out even more as we watch economic history unfold. One minute New Hampshire’s economy was flowing and the next, after Gov. Chris Sununu issued emergency orders essentially shutting down entire industries, “it was like turning a faucet off,” said Larry Haynes, CEO of Bow-based Grappone Automotive Group. Economists still don’t know what to make of it. After the Covid-19 pandemic hit, “things have changed more rapidly than I’ve ever seen in my 50 years,” said Russ Thibeault, president of Applied Economic Research in Laconia. In the first week after New Hampshire’s stay-athome order took effect, more than 20,000 new unemployment claims were filed — 40 times the normal rate — and the number of claims kept going up to nearly twice that number at its peak. At deadline, the state was down to 6,000 new claims, still more than 10 times the normal rate. But that’s considered good news. Since the shutdown, the state’s unemployment rate jumped from 2.4% in March to 16.3% in April. By another metric, 111,000 jobs have been lost since last year. May’s rate hadn’t been released by deadline, but there is hope that, like the nation’s, it will go down. There has been some decline in continuing claims — a more reliable statistic now that the initial rush is over and some people are returning to work. At the end of May, continuing claims settled at slightly over 100,000, indicating an unemployment
rate of about 10.7%, though the official rate will probably be higher. The deputy commissioner of Employment Security put a positive spin on the drop, telling the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force that the numbers show 90% of the state is working. During the shutdown, people had money because, shortly after the economic collapse, federal dollars flowed into the Granite State, albeit with a few hiccups: Paycheck Protection Program, $1.5 billion; Economic Injury Disaster Relief loans and grants, $400 million; $1,200 individual stimulus checks, $900 million; Federal CARES Act flex funds, $1.25 billion; and enhanced unemployment benefits of $600 per week, $714 million.
$5 billion in federal funds flowed into the state — roughly one quarter of the quarterly gross state product And, thanks to that $600 extra benefit, individuals on unemployment collected, on average, nearly what they had been getting in wages. Throw in some smaller federal grants and it all adds up to $5 billion. That’s big money for our small state, roughly equivalent to a quarter of the quarterly gross state product. Unless Congress acts, it could all end. Enhanced unemployment benefits stop July 31. Most of the PPP money has already been spent. State taxes are due June 15, federal taxes a month later and
estimated federal tax payments are for the first six months. “If you pull the plug, that could change things. It would be very severe,” said Thibeault. And all this just when the economy reopens.
Manufacturing Of course, some parts of the economy never closed. All manufacturing was considered essential in New Hampshire, but some factories closed or slowed down production because of supply chain interruptions or diminished demand. All told, the state lost 6,400 manufacturing jobs in April compared to last year, or about a tenth of the previous workforce. Exports are up by 5% year to date, while nationwide they are down by nearly 10%, mostly due to a 20% April plummet. But not all exporters thrived. Boyle Energy Services & Technology Inc. in Merrimack doesn’t just ship but must travel to install its equipment to all parts of the world. It was operating at a quarter of last year. The company has been able to maintain its workforce because of PPP, “but there have been massive scheduling delays,” said CEO Michael Boyle. “Our money is in putting manpower around the world in 28 countries. We can’t get to Saudi Arabia, Brazil. Flights are three times as expensive. We are at the mercy of a global pandemic.” Others suffered a decline in domestic demand, like Wire Belt Company in America, a Londonderry firm that makes conveyers for Tyson and other food suppliers. At first, the restaurant shutdown was offset by increased grocery store demand, the company said, but then the virus struck meatpacking plants themselves, cutting revenue by 35%. Others, however, are growing. Vapotherm, which makes respiratory devices, is expanding its Exeter facility, enabling it to hire another 350 workers.
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25%
New Hampshire’s Covid-19 timeline
3-day average % positive Covid-19 test results Unemployment rate* Important events (see list)
20% 15% 10%
* Percent of continuing employment claims compared to unemployment before Covid, as calculated by NHBR. Source: NH Employment Security, NH Department of Health and Human Services, NH Business Review
FROM PAGE 10
Graphicast, in Jaffrey, also produces medical equipment, including for a customer that manufactures machines used to analyze Covid-19 tests. But other customers put things off, so “right now we are pretty much juggling demand with capacity,” said President Val Zanchuk. But the company is mainly sticking to its current workforce because “we don’t know how or when this is going to end,” he said. Other manufacturers have added hours rather than employees. The average manufacturing work week in New Hampshire was 41.9 hours, the only New England state with a 40-plus work week.
Construction The essential construction industry also has mainly been working though the shutdown. The industry lost 1,400 jobs, a 5% percent decline, though construction contracts are down, which doesn’t bode well for the future. Commercial contractors are mainly working on their backlog, though some sectors, like schools, have stepped up projects, taking advantage of empty campuses. But “a lot of projects are taking a pause,” said Bill Stevens, president of Harvey Construction in Bedford. “It is the planning side that’s hit the most. There is going to be a slowdown in the future.” There is certainly a demand for residential construction, but land, labor and materials can be hard to come by. “I’m literally scrounging for land,” said De Desharnais, owner of Spruce Building and Development in Candia. “It’s this weird mix. It is good, but not as good as it would have happened if this bulls--t hadn’t happened.” A building slowdown is the last thing the timber industry needed, since it was already dealing with a collapse in demand for low-grade wood following Governor Sununu’s veto of a bill that would have guaranteed higher-than-market electric rates for biomass-generated electricity. To add insult to injury, the boiler of a major paper mill in Maine blew up. And while the easing trade war should have improved
exports, the virus disrupted global markets. Now, construction has slowed due to the virus “It was just a series of body blows,” said Jasen Stock, executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association. “It’s been pretty ugly out there. The virus took a bad situation and made it worse.” The demand for housing is still there, but the houses are not. The median home price statewide in May rose 6.6% to nearly $320,000, but sales are down by a quarter compared to last May. The number of homes for sale was down by a whopping 40%, and they are being snapped up, on average, in 51 days. That makes a vastly different kind of recession than in 2008, when homes lingered on the market for more than three times that amount. Then, there were too few buyers, now here are too few sellers. Buyers are putting cash down on homes they haven’t even seen, content with a virtual tour, reports Rachel Eames, of Concord-based Eames Realty Services. “It’s a great time to sell,” she said. “We are still getting multiple offers. We just need the inventory.” Commercial real estate, on the other hand, has “hit the pause button, and that pause was pretty dramatic,” said Christopher Norwood of Bedford-based NAI Norwood Group. Closed deals are off 25% to 40%, and much of that business is in renewed leases. Businesses put everything on hold as uncertainty ruled the day and financing was difficult because the banks shifted resources to deal with Paycheck Protection Program demand.
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June 15
June 5
March 13:
State of emergency
March 16:
Ban on gatherings of more than 50 closes bars, restaurants.
March 23: First Covid death. Ban on gatherings of more than 10. March 26: Stay-at-home order closes nonessential businesses. April 6:
Hotels restricted to only essential personnel.
May 1:
State at Home 2.0. Healthcare providers reopened for elective, time sensitive procedures.
May 11:
Retail, cosmetologists, golf and drive-ins reopened.
May 18:
Restaurants reopened for outdoor seating.
May 22:
Child care centers reopened.
May 29:
Churches, driver’s ed reopened.
June 1:
Beaches reopened.
June 5:
Lodging reopened.
June 15:
Stay-at-home order ends allowing gatherings of more than 10. Restaurants with indoor seating, gyms, library, outdoor attractions and weddings reopened.
June 22:
Day camps to reopen.
June 28:
Amusement parks, theaters and overnight camps to reopen.
June 30:
Last day to apply for PPP.
July 1:
Stay on evictions and foreclosures to end.
July 15:
2019 federal taxes and six months estimated tax payments due.
July 31:
Enhanced unemployment benefits end.
Retail, hospitality The state’s retail sector lost nearly 20,000 jobs, about a fifth of its workforce, compared to last April. Not all retail had to be shut down, of course. Grocery stores were swamped, and even two months into the crisis, doing a quarter more business then previously, estimated John Dumais, CEO of the New Hampshire Grocers Association, but that doesn’t mean the stores are doing that great financially. The extra cleaning, restocking, longer lines spaced
May 29 May 30 June 1
May 22 May 23
May 16 May 18
May 9 May 11
May 1 May 2
Apr. 25
Apr. 18
Apr. 11
Apr. 4 Apr. 6
Mar. 26 Mar. 28
Mar. 21 Mar. 23
Mar. 13 Mar. 14 Mar. 16
Mar. 5
5%
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NH municipalities consider need for face mask orders Some require coverings, others avoid mandate BY IAN LENAHAN
With summer drawing near, towns and cities throughout New Hampshire have begun discussing and enacting face mask ordinances. As a result, lawmakers are grappling with the health implications, enforcement tactics and likely public reactions to mandated face coverings, while at least one New Hampshire town is being sued in response to its mandate. Nashua, the state’s second-most populated municipality, enacted a city-wide face covering ordinance on May 21 after a vote by the Board of Aldermen. On May 27, the city was sued by a Nashua resident represented by Fojo Law over the ordinance. The lawsuit claims that Nashua city administrators “lacked the statutory authority to enact such an ordinance,” and alleges that the measure violates the constitutional rights of Nashua residents. The same lawsuit challenges Gov. Chris Sununu’s emergency declaration and subsequent restrictions. Nashua’s ordinance requires all business employees to wear a face covering “when interacting with the public and whenever they are within six feet of a co-worker or a customer.” Additionally, all members of the public entering businesses (including ones with outdoor operations), worksites or government buildings must wear a face or covering “made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that covers only the nose, mouth, and surrounding areas of the lower face.” In addition, people entering a restaurant to pick up takeout or other purposes must wear a face covering, but those dining outdoors are allowed to remove the face covering while seated. The ordinance also states that masks need to be worn when entering and while within “common areas and
communal spaces” of a residential or commercial complex greater than two units. Violators of Nashua’s ordinance could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Durham and Portsmouth In Durham, a face covering request was ordered on May 28. It “requests all residents, visitors, business employees, and passersby within the jurisdictional boundaries of the municipality to wear cloth face coverings when outside of the home to help slow the spread of Covid-19.” Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig is adamant that the practice of wearing a face mask or covering is for the greater good after speaking with the state Department of Health and Human Services. “Life in Durham is no more dangerous than life in Manchester, Nashua, Lebanon, Salem, Littleton, or Concord — we must all be equally vigilant to remain healthy with the virus present in society,” he said. “Proactive mask wearing is essential in Durham’s downtown, on campus, at the grocery store, and anytime we are out and about amongst other people in New Hampshire.” He added that Durham municipal facilities “have signage in place requesting voluntary face coverings, and masks are available that have been individually bagged for sanitary purposes.” On June 1, Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine proposed during a Zoom city council meeting that the city issue a statement that it “respectfully advises” residents and guests to wear a face mask when social distancing measures cannot be maintained indoors and outdoors. The motion also proposes that Portsmouth businesses “respectfully urge” residents and guests wear face masks upon entering their respective locations.
Splaine, who had previously expressed support for a face mask mandate, revised his stance after speaking with Portsmouth Mayor Rick Becksted, city residents and after observing social media reactions to the topic, he said. “I think all of us want to be able to see us return to normal, whatever that new normal for a while is going to be,” he said. “One of the ways to do that is to make sure that we do not see numbers go up now that we are doing something different, and that is getting together again.” Mayor Becksted cited concern that the motion became a step closer to a mandate and that people would test the boundaries of it. He argued that the city’s Market Square matrix board message saying “the mask is all we ask” was enough to inspire residents and visitors to take proper precautions. Becksted worried that people challenging any request to wear masks might begin a confrontation and potentially get the police involved, and that visitors might come into the city to attempt testing those boundaries and risk the spread of infection. “I don’t think we should be putting our city at risk,” he said. Ultimately, the motion passed 7-2, with Councilor Petra Huda joining Becksted in opposition. Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard said the city has been successful in its outreach asking residents to take proper precautions. Right now advising residents to wear masks, but not mandating it, is enough, she said. “We don’t want to mandate because the data and science don’t warrant that we mandate policy around it,” she said. This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
Midyear review FROM PAGE 11
out by social distancing, extra shifts for elderly customers — “these things are costly, and our margins are already very thin.” Not only were auto sales down, but with less driving, there was less repair work. Still, by mid-April, “it picked up more than anticipated,” said Haynes of Grappone. “I’m not trying to say we are normal, but we are 75 to 85% of normal.” “Nonessential retail” businesses could only be open to curbside customers until May 11, when they could open at 50% occupancy. Bike shops, pool dealers and gun stores did well, but more than half the workers at clothing stores were filing unemployment claims. That fell to a quarter after reopening began. Still, customers are hesitant, said Nancy Kyle, CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association. “I think it is going to be a long process to get back to where we were,” she said. “Stores cannot make a profit at 50% capacity.” The hospitality sector was hit hardest, down more than 45,000 jobs — 60% of the workforce the previous May. With federal PPP assistances, most muddled though with takeout and curbside pickup, and then, on May 18, outdoor dining, and on June 15, indoor seat-
ing, though at 50% occupancy in Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack and Strafford counties. But at least two dozen restaurant owners have told Mike Somers, CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, that they were calling it quits. “When they were forced to close and had to lose all their inventory, they had bills that just wouldn’t go away,” he said. But outdoor dining was a salvation for those that could do it. “The weather cooperated, which was huge,” said Priscilla Lane-Rondeau, owner of 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Manchester, who opened up 12 tables on her porch and parking lot in Manchester. “It was better than expected,” said Tom Boucher, CEO of Bedford-based Great NH Restaurants. “Between 50% inside and our expanded outside, we will almost be back to normal if the weather continues to hold.” Lodging facilities were hit even harder than restaurants, because they couldn’t house anyone except for essential workers until June 5, and larger hotels with indoor room access were restricted to 50% capacity. Some haven’t reopened yet. Steve Duprey, owner of
five hotels in Concord, wasn’t opening all of them until he sees a bit stronger demand. “It will take a while for people to be comfortable to make travel plans and start travel,” he said. It remains to be seen how the rest of the economy — including gyms, outdoor attractions and movie theaters — has done as they began reopening in June. And what about businesses that depend on office workers, which are still — according to universal guidelines — still supposed to work at home when possible, as well as the businesses that serve them? One such company, Consolidated Services Group, an Exeter firm that sells office supplies and services, lost about 80% of its revenue during the shutdown, but the company hardly skipped a beat. They are now offering a coffee maker remotely controlled by a phone app, a janitorial sanitation program with electric sprayers, and rerouted the toilet paper it normally sold for office bathrooms to retail. “We are slowly but surely recovering,” said the firm’s Thomas Berman. Rather than “see a problem in every opportunity,” he said, “you need to see an opportunity in every problem.” Bob Sanders can be reached at bsanders@nhbr.com.
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Hospitality, crisis and promise Disruption of the industry offers opportunity for the ingenious entrepreneur Such wreckage. Such devastation. Such uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the present, shattered futures and taken lives. In a quick couple of months, life as we’ve known it has been turned upside down. There is much to despair about this shock to our previously well-constructed world. Looking for hope can seem unattainable, especially for those whose careers, livelihoods and businesses have been heavily damaged. I especially mourn what is happening to the hospitality industry. Restaurants, hotels, resorts, amusement parks, theaters, concerts, sporting events and the like are where we go to refresh and un-
BY BILL RYAN
Jobs and Careers wind by enjoying time with friends and family, interacting with others and being treated warmly by caring staffs. Hospitality is in many ways one of the most human of all career choices. Here is where your value is largely determined by how well you engage with others and how well you make others feel. Being socially distant is aversive to hospitality. It’s like trying to paint landscapes with only two colors. The genial experience is catastrophically abridged. Hospitality was to be the great redeemer for a world becoming increasingly technical, remote and isolated. At its core, hospitality resisted the forces of automation and outsourcing that transformed so many other lines of work. It benefited from an economy relatively flush with disposable income. This industry really has made the world a better place to live. And now we ask ourselves, what happens to us all if our capacity to be social beings is painfully curtailed for the long term? In the U.S., it’s unlikely we’ll see government stepping in to support hospitality for more than several months. Projections point to the second half of 2021 before a widely distributed and effective vaccine is put into place. Therefore, social distancing is expected to
be among the chief tactics we have to mitigate outbreaks during our slow build up to herd immunity. Then there is the very real fear people have about mingling as before. Think of the questions we could have while in crowds: Who among these people is asymptomatic and carrying the virus? Why is that person coughing? Is it right to hug or shake hands with this friend anymore? How can I keep my glasses from fogging when wearing this darn mask? Many may, and probably will, opt for staying home. There are no easy answers or quick fixes for the hospitality industry. That said, two broad ideas come to mind that may point to some sort of solution for the future of those whose hospitality jobs are evaporating. This is a time for hospitality professionals to reflect on their skills and the value they bring to the public. In particular, inventory what it is about your engagements with people that activates your energy and brings deep satisfaction. Then think about other, more employable areas where these talents can be expressed. For example, healthcare-related services benefit from a workforce rich in soft hospitable skills infused with those of the technical expertise providers. Sales and customer services also are enhanced by those who can deliver personal, attentive and solution-oriented care and advice. Think about it: There are many fields in which a hospitable mindset and presentation can find a home. Second, now is a time for the entrepreneurial, innovative, resourceful and ingenious among us to design and develop novel ways of offering hospitality contributions that haven’t been tried before. The pent-up public demand is certainly there. Necessity is still the mother of invention. Let’s please be pleasantly surprised by having creative hospitality professionals discover new and refreshing ways of building community, strengthening social interaction and giving us respite from these stressful times, all while maintaining safe and prudent distancing measures. Times were dark in the economy 10 years ago and they are even darker now. But if we’re lucky, it may be our friends in hospitality who can shine a light when we all most need it. Bill Ryan, who writes about career, employment and economic topics from his home in North Sutton, can be reached at bill@billryanwritings.com.
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Since 2003, NH Business Review’s Business Excellence Awards have honored the best and the brightest leaders in the state’s small business community. Since 2015, we’ve been honoring larger businesses too – with awards presented in eight different categories for small businesses (under 100 employees) and bigger ones (over 100 employees). Go to nhbr.com for more details.
Submit a nomination by August 14 at nhbr.com/bea/ Sponsored by:
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Mobile tools for remote working
A range of solutions can help businesses run smoothly from anywhere In New Hampshire, there are 134,760 small businesses accounting for 99% of New Hampshire businesses employing nearly 296,000 people, according to statistics from a 2019 report by the U.S. Small Business Administration. They are the backbone of our economy. Small businesses create new jobs, lead the way in technology and product innovation, and often reflect the diversity of our communities. There are many apps, software, devices like the latest iPhone 11 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, and powerful wireless networks to help entrepreneurs manage their business operations. And in today’s environment, working remotely using mobile tools has helped businesses stay moving. Whether you’re a business owner with a brick and mortar office, an entrepreneur who runs a business from a smartphone or are working from a home office due to the coronavirus pandemic, the following tools can help support your business needs. • Cloud-based communications tools: Cloud communications blend multiple communication functions and features together, like desk phones, smartphones, email, chat, video and text. There are a number of solutions to choose from, including Telnyx, Bandwidth and Twilio. • Project management tools: You can keep track of projects from start to finish and see who is working on what with project management tools like Trello, which allow users to collaborate with a project team, stay on top of tasks, track progress and see who is delivering what. Trello also allows you to link with other tools like Google Drive and DropBox. Another option, Monday.com, allows for team collaboration and a 360-degree view of the project process. • Accounting tools: A number of apps are available to help small businesses keep on top of finances. Xero is an accounting app that lets users make employee payments, review billing details and manage tasks like purchase orders and other details in an effective manner. It also offers cloud functionality to easily save data and
important files and folders in a safe location and also view cash flows with real-time updates. Expensify helps businesses track receipts and manage expenses on the go. Expensify can categorize and code each receipt, and can automatically submit business expenses for approval and reimbursement. • Document-sharing tools: With nationwide cellular networks, businesses can operate from many different locations using file-sharing and collaboration tools like Google’s G Suite. G Suite offers a number of productivity-enhancing features, including documentsharing, calendar, launching an online ad campaign or tracking traffic stats for websites. Another, doForms, is a
BY MATT KASPER
Tech Tips mobile forms and workflow solution for companies to easily capture information in the field on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The information is sent back to the office via the cloud and seamlessly integrates into existing operating systems. • Marketing tools: MailChimp is an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses. Users can create an email list and send visually engaging emails, newsletters, postcards and more to customers. MailChimp provides advance analytics reports showing clickthru rates and allows users to learn from past campaigns. Other tools, like Hootsuite, allow users to post to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all from one post, saving time. Google Analytics helps users track everything from website performance, content and marketing campaigns. Matt Kasper is director of sales for U.S. Cellular in New England.
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NH businesses struggle to remain sustainable Pandemic has led to more use of single-use plastic BY EMILY DUGGAN
Rows of tables line the side of The Big Bean Cafe in Durham, as customers sit outside to comply with regulations that New Hampshire has set forward for restaurants reopening amid the coronavirus. The cafe’s signature item, “The 420,” still tops the menu, but as customers receive their meals, they may be surprised by the use of plastic plates and cups — something that The Big Bean restaurant usually strives not to use in line with the owners’ sustainability goals. Jon Wells, who has owned The Big Bean in Newmarket with his wife, Arley, since 2018 and the Durham location since fall 2019, said it was a necessary switch to plastic in order to ensure the well-being of staff. It is mainly to minimize the risk of person-to-person contamination coming back into the restaurant or targeting the staff, Wells said. He said he’s concerned that staff could be exposed to the virus when they clear and clean plates and utensils that members of the public have just used. “As far as earth-friendly, it’s highly important to us, it still is,” Wells said. The Wellses have ensured that even though the products they are using for outside seating and takeout are single-use, the plates and cups are compostable and the utensils are recyclable. For a while, the restaurant had to switch to plastic takeout bags, which they wouldn’t normally do, according to Wells, but The Big Bean’s supply company was unable to obtain paper bags because of the pandemic. Despite the changes, the Wellses are still trying to stay true to their values. “A lot of places have changed to paper or Styrofoam because the cost of doing takeout adds up,” Wells said. “It takes away from profit, and people are doing whatever they can to reduce costs. We haven’t done that; we haven’t changed containers … The money we would have saved for Styrofoam wasn’t enough to justify [the environmental impact] for us.” Businesses in New Hampshire can make their own decisions about whether to limit use of reusable items — like plates, silverware and shopping bags — that are exposed to the public. Many businesses are erring on the side of caution and opting to use more disposable goods to minimize health risk, but environmental proponents worry this will impact another health crisis: climate change.
Hygienic safety Alex Freid is a 2013 graduate of the University of New Hampshire and founder of PostAction Landfill Action Network, or PLAN. The nonprofit works with over 400 colleges and universities across the country to aid them in becoming more sustainable in their
Alex Freid, founder of the PostAction Landfill Action Network, says that reusable products are still as safe to use as they have ever been. (Photo by Jodie Andruskevich)
practices. PLAN’s focus right now is making sure dining halls across the country remain sustainable during the coronavirus pandemic and don’t make the switch to single-use materials if it’s not needed. Freid argued that, even during the pandemic, when people are experiencing a heightened sense of hygienic safety, reusable products are still as safe to use as they have ever been. “One of the key components of the virus itself is that the coronavirus is primarily spread through breathing it in,” he said. “The CDC [Center for Disease Control] and the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] make that clear. The risk of transmission through hard surfaces — touching the hard surface — that risk is very low. The primary way of spreading is through inhalation of the virus.” According to the CDC, person-to-person contact is the main way to spread the coronavirus, the disease that leads to Covid-19. The odds of contracting the virus from a surface area are very low too, as it lasts “24 hours on paper and cardboard, and between two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.” But some restaurants still may not feel comfortable with the virus being on a reusable surface at all. The FDA has standards to prevent disease spread at restaurants, Freid said. He believes the risks to patrons from eating off reusable items is minimal. “When you go into a restaurant [you] eat off plenty of items that many of people have eat-
en off before you, and they are safe,” he said.
Reusable bags Restaurants aren’t the only establishments seeing an uptick in waste. Many grocery chains, including Hannaford, stopped allowing customers to bring their own reusable bags into the store, so more people have returned to single-use plastic bags. George Parmenter, health and sustainability lead for Hannaford Supermarkets, said that, although the chain had been pushing for reusable bags, they switched to singleuse plastic out of caution once the pandemic broke out. “Most people understood the reason behind it [the switch], which was really to take the possible contamination source out of the equation. The thought process we have is that with the bags in folks’ home, we don’t really know what they are exposed to, they come back to the store and we have to trust that people disinfected and cleaned them [the bags],” he said. Before the pandemic, Parmenter said, customers were using reusable bags in the largest numbers that the stores have seen due to the plastic bag ban in Maine, New York and soon to be in Vermont. People had made a habit out of bringing their bags to the store, Parmenter said, and after the pandemic he expects it will be challenging to reestablish that routine. Fiona Wilson, director of the Sustainability
Institute at the University of New Hampshire and the university’s deputy chief sustainability officer, said that it is important for businesses small and large to distinguish shortterm and long-term goals about how they want to handle their sustainability efforts during the pandemic. “We are in an unprecedented global health crisis, so the priority is protecting the health of the population,” Wilson said. “If that means some temporary changes, I think everyone would agree that that’s the right thing to do.” At the same time, businesses and the public need to consider longer-term goals and sustainability values, she said. “I don’t think the world is going to go back to normal, but there will be heightened awareness over health and safety for a long time,” she said. Wilson pointed out that the United Nations’ sustainable development goals include goals around climate change, but also around human health. “One can’t thrive unless the other thrives,” she said. “We are living through two crises right now — the global health crisis, but we are also in the middle of the climate crisis. Unless we address the climate crisis, the other impacts of the changing climate is going to lead to more public health crises.”
Proper sanitation Freid and Wilson both agree that the switch back to reusable products for most restaurants will depend on the comfort level of customers. Customers should use this time for sustainable advocacy, they said. In a perfect world, restaurants would already have systems in place where bringing a reusable mug wouldn’t be a sanitary issue, for example, Freid said. “This pandemic and the shake-up is an opportunity to redesign new systems to ensure proper sanitation methods,” Freid said. “In many ways, the pandemic brought a lack of foresight and lack of planning. We all know that there were many researchers who have said that we are not ready for the next pandemic, and we are not ready for climate change, and we are not prepared for the next crisis. This should be a wake-up call.” As for The Big Bean, Wells has taken the time before “things go back to normal” to change the menu and start on projects such as having a waitlist app so customers have less contact with other customers in the cafe. The restaurant is also installing online ordering for the same reason. “We are staying true to what we are doing and who we are and looking to the future to keep things going,” Wells said. This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
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More on voting in 2020
Summary of the New Hampshire emergency election committee’s report
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Several states held primary elections the first and second weeks of June as presidential primary season slowly approached its end. The elections, in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia, experienced the problems many observers feared amid Covid-19: long lines, fewer polling places open because of increased use of absentee ballots and delays due to the need to count so many mailed-in ballots. Far fewer voters turn out to vote in primaries than in November, especially in presidential election years. In New Hampshire, the Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support completed its work and submitted its report to Secretary of State William M. Gardner on June 8. That committee, which I chaired, was appointed by Gardner to advise him on election procedures and on the spending of federal money appropriated by Congress as part of the CARES Act, to help states deal with the special problems of election in a pandemic year. The committee held public meetings in April, May and June, with input from staff of the Secretary of State and Attorney General, local election officials, interest groups, political parties, educational institutions, labor organizations and the public. Our aim was to study how the current public health issues affect the conduct of elections and other election-related matters, as well as how to spend the federal funds New Hampshire has received related to elections. A press release from the committee summarized the 31-page report: • “The safest way to keep voters and election workers safe during the fall primary and general election is for as many voters as possible to vote by absentee ballot.” • “A vast increase in the number of absentee ballots will require new processes and create new expenses for the conduct of elections.” • “In-person elections will continue to be held, and measures must be designed to keep voters and election workers safe during such elections.” • “Other election-related matters, like changing party registration, registering to vote, filing for office and changing back to undeclared status during primaries, need to be available in a way to be done remotely and/or safely, in order to keep municipal offices and polling places uncrowded and safe.” • “Opportunities for voters to obtain ballots and vote absentee in person should be provided for a reasonable time prior to election day, especially in larger communities.” The report also recommends the priorities for spending the federal funds received by the state: • Payment of the costs of accounting for the funds and following the federal guidelines. • Providing personal protective equipment for poll workers and voters.
• Publicizing the availability of absentee voting and registration — including a mailing to all New Hampshire households providing information on how to do so easily. • Paying for prepaid postage for return of absentee ballots and increased cost of sending them. • Funding additional polling place costs, including safety, relocation and expansion • Funding a Secretary of State hotline. • Paying for lease of additional ballotcounting machines. Adds the press release: “Summing up its work, the members said, ‘ … we have come to realize the importance of the work we have been assigned, and the critical significance of making safe selection procedures to all who want to vote, and those who help
BY BRAD COOK
Cook on Concord make it happen. It is not overly dramatic to say that unless New Hampshire and all other states get this right this year, the future of our nation and world could be affected, forever.’” As chair of the committee, I took no comfort in comparing our summary statement with the problems encountered in other, larger states, at the same time we were completing the report. As the committee completed its work, Secretary of State Bill Gardner and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald issued joint guidance explaining how voters concerned about the effects of registering to vote in person during the pandemic could request registration-by-mail forms and file them from home, and they could arrange a oneon-one meeting with voting officials to fill out such forms. Some of the recommendations of the committee may require additional guidance, an executive order or legislation. Whether that will be forthcoming or not remains to be seen. Those interested in knowing more can view the report and other guidance at NH.SOS.gov. It is now incumbent on all of us to make the options for voting safely known to all New Hampshire citizens. The future of the world may depend on it. Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.
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FROM PAGE 1
Policy proposals target police racism, violence FROM PAGE 1
Civilian involvement in police oversight
nying the officer the means to complete the arrest.” Legislators can start requesting bills for 2021 this September. It is possible that a legislator will sponsor a new bill to restrict police use of force.
What it is: For many years, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have advocated for civilian involvement in police misconduct investigations and law enforcement policymaking. Ideally, citizen involvement Policies on fair and impartial policing would reduce bias that favors police officers. Opponents What it is: The Governor’s Council on Diversity and Inargue that civilians simply are not qualified to evaluate clusion published a report in January that recommended NASHUA REGION NORTH COUNTRYand conduct.LAKES REGION police policies all police agencies in New Hampshire adopt policies on Where New Hampshire stands: Towns and cities may “fair and impartial policing.” These policies are intended choose to implement their own civilian review boards, to eliminate racial profiling, including unwarranted stops. but there is no state law that requires them to do so. Where New Hampshire stands: Police policies are set House Bill 1257 is a 2020 bill that would establish a at the local level in New Hampshire, so adoption varies committee to study the opportunities for citizen in- from town to town. When Citizens Count contacted the TOP ROW: BUSINESS TECH,General ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS,police BANKING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY volvement in Attorney investigations of officerdepartments in New Hampshire’s largest cities, SECOND ROW: FEATURE STORY AND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN involved shootings. That bill passed the House in March some were quick to respond with their fair and imparTHIRD ROW: REAL ESTATE + CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE and is in the Senate. However, the coronavirus pandemic tial policing policies. However, these policies were often FORTH ROW: AREA GRAPHICS, another TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD disrupted legislative activity in March, and the Senate not accessible through the departments’ websites, and may not get to HB 1257 this year. there’s no data available on how these policies have been implemented or enforced across the state. When legislators begin requesting 2021 bills this SepMore transparency in investigations of tember, it is possible there will be a proposal requiring police misconduct police departments to adopt and publish policies on fair What it is: Right now there is no centralized, public and impartial policing. list of all police misconduct reports in the state. A statewide clearinghouse on police misconduct would make it easier for the public to track problematic officers and Additional police training departments. However, opponents are concerned about What it is: Many protestors across the nation have fodue process and privacy rights for any officers accused cused on how much (or little) time police officers spend of misconduct. in training dedicated to bias and use of force. Additional Where New Hampshire stands: The ACLU New Hamp- police training on these issues may decrease the likelishire and several news organizations are suing the state hood of police misconduct. to disclose names on the Attorney General’s list of offiWhere New Hampshire stands: New Hampshire has a cers with potential credibility issues, called the Laurie List. centralized training program for all police officers in the There are also two 2020 bills — HB 1217 and Senate state, which also offers ongoing training for officers. The Bill 470 — that would require every police misconduct January 2020 report from the Governor’s Council on Direport to be delivered to the state Police Standards versity and Inclusion recommended the state offer more and Training Council, which is responsible for certifying officer training on issues such as de-escalation, (essentially licensing) police.
Once again, since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted legislative activity in March, these bills may not get a vote this year.
Restricting use of force What it is: The organization Campaign Zero created the trending hashtag #8cantwait to highlight eight use-offorce restrictions that aim to reduce killings by police. The restrictions include banning chokeholds, requiring warning before shooting, comprehensive reporting and more. Where New Hampshire stands: Local police departments in New Hampshire develop their own policies on when to use different levels of force. The Legislature has not seen many proposals to intervene in that process. One 2019 bill, HB 218, would have removed the legal authority for a law enforcement officer to use deadly force in making an arrest. Deadly force would still be allowed for defense or to prevent escape. The House killed the bill after the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee wrote, “In the current climate where officers are more likely to be resisted by offenders using deadly force, it makes no sense to restrict our protectors by de-
diversity and hate crimes protocol. Current state law is relatively hands-off on training for police officers, although there are a few specific requirements. For example, the law requires training on “proper techniques for dealing with intoxicated and incapacitated persons” and “responding to incidents involving persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementia.” When legislators request bills for 2021, there may be some interest in putting additional training requirements in state law related to bias, racism or use of force.
Mandatory body cameras What it is: Some police departments in New Hampshire and across the nation require police officers to wear body cameras that record their interactions with the public. Ideally, body cameras reduce police misconduct by creating an impartial record of every officer’s interaction with the public. Unfortunately, these cameras sometimes malfunction or officers may fail to turn them on. Where New Hampshire stands: New Hampshire passed a law regulating the use of body cameras a few years ago. That law governs privacy concerns, storage,
documentation requirements and so on. However, there is no state requirement for local police officers to wear body cameras. A couple of 2018 bills would have required body cameras, but lawmakers were concerned about how to pay for the cameras and video storage. They decided to leave the decision on body cameras up to towns and cities.
Defunding the police and investing in community programs What it is: The Black Lives Matter Foundation Inc., the ACLU and other groups are calling for governments to cut police budgets and instead spend that money on schools, affordable housing, healthcare or other community programs. Supporters argue that police resources should be focused on serious offenses such as sexual assault, murder and burglary — not petty theft, drug use, speeding or other minor crimes. When police enforce those minor crimes, it creates more opportunity for biased policing and unnecessary violence. (George Floyd was handcuffed by police for allegedly spending a counterfeit $20 bill.) More radical proposals would disband the current police system altogether and replace it with a new public safety system. Opponents are concerned that cutting law enforcement budgets could lead to an increase in crime. Police departments may also spend less on training if they are forced to make budget cuts. Instead of cutting police budgets, lawmakers could redirect funds towards more training and enforcement of major crimes. Where New Hampshire stands: Right now there are no proposals at the state level to cut law enforcement spending, but there’s a chance it could come up in 2021, when legislators draft the next state budget.
Other ideas In 2019 Rep. Max Abramson introduced HB 732 to broadly prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement and the courts. Due to procedural problems, that bill was tabled without further action. If reelected, Abramson may seek to introduce a similar bill in 2021. HB 1174 is a 2020 bill that would clarify the requirement that all police officers go through psychological screening and drug testing and provide necessary funding to complete the tests. A 2019 audit of the Police Standards and Training Council found that, while state law requires screening, some law enforcement officers have never taken or passed a psychological fitness screening and drug screening examination. These screenings are designed to detect behavioral traits that could undermine an officer’s ability to safely and effectively do his or her job. HB 1174 passed the House earlier this year but, due to coronavirus-related delays, it’s unclear if it will get a vote in the Senate. This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
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FROM PAGE 1
U.S. Postal Service once again fights for its survival FROM PAGE 1
“The Postal Service relies on the sale of postal cord, has experienced it. products and services to fund our operations, and NH Print and Mail provides digital printing as well these sales are plummeting as a result of the pan- as pre-sorting services for marketing mail. demic,” he said. “The sudden drop in mail volumes, Direct mail from businesses, such as restaurants, our most profitable revenue stream, is steep and make up some of Boyarsky’s customer base, but may never fully recover.” most of his customers are nonprofits, which halted In fact, the USPS says it may not be able to make mailings in mid-March. payroll and continue mail service uninterrupted “There’s not a lot of fundraising going on right past September without a financial relief package now because of financial conditions,” said BoyarNASHUA REGION LAKES REGION NORTH COUNTRY — and down-the-line postal reform. sky, who noted some nonprofits were about to The economic fallout from Covid-19 only furthers mail notices of upcoming fundraising events when existing financial problems facing the Postal Ser- stay-at-home orders took effect in New Hampshire vice, which has been hit by declining mail volume and around the country. Other for-profit customers, and, notably, a mandate from the 2006 Postal Ac- such as insurance companies, have also cut down countability and Enhancement Act that requires on mailings. TOP ROW: BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS, FINANCE, ENERGY it to TECH, create a $72 billion fund to pay for theBANKING, cost PERSONAL But, despite the decline in its use since the days SECOND ROW: FEATURE STORY AND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN THIRD ROW: REAL ESTATE + CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE FORTH ROW: AREA GRAPHICS, another TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD
USPS annual revenue by product line
the Postal Service in the hands of Congress and the Trump administration.
Political environment The four members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation wrote a letter to congressional leadership in April asking for financial relief for the Postal Service. “The country’s experience during this pandemic is demonstrating the degree to which Americans, especially seniors and the immunocompromised, depend on the Postal Service for essential deliveries, including medications, stimulus checks and tax refunds,” read the letter. “U.S. businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses that are suffering greatly because of lost revenue because of the coronavirus also rely on receiving goods through the USPS’s affordable pricing structure.” The letter is pushing for relief beyond what was provided in the CARES Act, which allows the Postal Service to borrow up to $10 billion from the U.S. Treasury to cover operating expenses, on the condition it raises package and shipping rates. The U.S. House has passed a second round of coronavirus economic relief, called the HEROES Act, which includes $25 billion in immediate emergency funding. The Senate has yet to announce a bill, and leadership said it doesn’t expect to take up a measure until after July 4. The political environment has members of the American Postal Workers Union concerned, said Emily Harris, spokesperson for the APWU in Washington, D.C. Last month, President Trump appointed Louis DeJoy, a significant political donor, as postmaster general. And recommendations toward partial or full privatization of the Postal Service are still fresh from a 2018 Office of Budget and Management report. “The pieces are in play as it were,” said Harris.
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of its post-retirement healthcare benefits 75 years into the future — something that no other federal agency or private corporation has to comply with. ($387 million of its first-quarter net loss is attributed to controllable losses including this provision.) Over the past 10 years, the Postal Service has experienced a nearly 30% drop in first-class mail, its most profitable product, and more than 7% decrease in direct mail advertising. And economic recessions only dampen mail volume even more. During the 2008-09 recession, for example, “advertisements for credit cards dropped and never came back as strong,” said Phil Tabbita, senior manager at the American Postal Workers Union. This trend could be replicated in other industries, particularly retail advertisements. “I don’t think we have seen the bottom fall out of mail yet, the way it’s likely to,” said Tabbita, saying 2020 is a unique year with two sources of mail that would only temporarily boost numbers: the U.S. Census and 2020 election.
Temporary volume shifts While April figures that would reflect the decrease in mail volume have not been released yet, Kevin Boyarsky, co-owner of NH Print and Mail in Con-
before the internet, that doesn’t mean mail is obsolete. “Mail is a funny thing,” said Boyarsky. “People don’t think about the mail service, but when they need it, they need it. Even though a lot of billing has gone electronic, there’s still a fair amount of mail that goes out, and I call it ‘crucial correspondent mail’: insurance claim forms, medical type forms — first-class mail that is crucial for a person’s financial information. The volume has dropped, but there’s still a good piece of it going through the mail system.” And there has been a bright spot for the Postal Service: a 25% increase in package delivery — a direct result of stay-athome orders and the shutdown of many retailers. But, said the Postal Service’s Doherty, the increase “likely won’t offset the decline in firstclass,” and that leaves the fate of
Total volume of mail, in billions of pieces
Sources: Postal Service annual reports to Congress and the Postal Regulatory Commission. Pew Research Center.
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J U N E 19 - J U LY 16, 2020
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Privatization aside, Doherty of the Northeast USPS said the Postal Service could pivot easier if congressional approval on postal rates were removed. (Most prices increase based on the Consumer Product Index, often an increase of about 2%.) “For us to go up a penny on the cost of a stamp is a process that takes a couple of years, so we don’t have the flexibility to be able to react to the market as quickly as our counterparts in the private sector, and that’s part of what we’re looking for is a business model that allows us to be competitive in our key products,” he said. Whenever there is a proposed rate increase by the
USPS may not be able to make payroll and continue mail service uninterrupted past September. The House-passed HEROES Act includes $25 billion in relief. Postal Rates Commission, it is lobbied against by mailers facing significant financial hits due to their mail volume, said Tabbita of the APWU. In April, Trump called for a fourfold increase in the price to ship packages through the Postal Service, which New Hampshire’s congressional delegation denounced along with the postal workers union. Trump’s main target in his demand is Amazon, which he claimed in an April 2018 tweet is “costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money for being their delivery boy.” “[Amazon owners Jeff] Bezos is making a fortune, but not at the Postal Service’s expense,” said Tabbita. Private carriers FedEx and UPS — as well as companies that ship consumer goods — rely on the Postal Service to deliver mail and packages to the most rural, and therefore the least profitable areas. (Likewise, the Postal Service depends on FedEx to deliver mail by plane after Congress decided it could not own its own planes, said Doherty.) But “the Postal Service can [deliver to the last mile] because it has the density and it’s going to every address anyways,” explained Tabbita. “It’s not sending an extra truck and extra person to deliver a package — the Postal Service is already there.” Raising prices is a tricky balance. If the Postal Service raises them too much, it will motivate UPS and FedEx to raise their rates and build out their ground networks in certain areas — a trend that already started last year and has hit the Postal Service’s bottom line, said Tabbita. That drives home the point that the Postal Service must be a public service with affordable rates, argued Janice Kelble, legislative director of the New Hampshire chapter of the American Postal Workers Union. “I don’t think any private business is going to do that [deliver to the unprofitable areas]; they’re going to deliver the cream of the crop,” said Kelble. “It matters to have the Postal Service maintain the ability for the public to communicate. It’s for the public good — it’s not for making big profits. Like the fire department, you don’t just serve the houses that are convenient, you don’t get to pick and choose.”
Business decisions Yet it’s the Postal Service’s universal service obligation and congressional oversight that prevent it from taking the steps a private business would follow to achieve and maintain financial solvency, some argue. “The problem I see with the Post Office, and I’ve been doing this a long time, is if you were to run a business and you see your volume’s out of your control, you would look to reduce staff, you would look to reduce facilities and you would change how you compensate people,” said Boyarsky. “The post office has not been able to do any of those things because of law, because of unions, because of regulation.” He points to the large number of post office locations that are sometimes in close proximity to each other. “Feasibly, you could close one or two post offices, and a retail customer may need to travel another two to three miles, but it would save money in employees, vehicles, building rent and upkeep,” argued Boyarsky. “The volume of mail has dropped tremendously, and you’ve got to reduce your costs — if you don’t it’s not a viable business model. You’ve got to run it somewhat like a business and you’ve got to get those costs down.” USPS has tried that with little success, as members of the community voice concerns to their congressional delegation. “They see the post office as part of their identity,” said Doherty. “If you try to take that out of a local community, we’ve found you get a lot of pushback.” That being said, when it was proposed, Boyarsky reached out to New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to oppose the shutdown of the Manchester bulk mail facility, which would then make the nearest facility in Portland, Maine, or Boston, hurting his business and other mailers in New Hampshire. In 2011, the bulk mail facility in Portsmouth was closed. Another option to work toward profitability is reduce the number of delivery days. If a private mailer were to deliver first-class mail, it would require “enough pieces per stop to make that profitable,” said Tabbita, “and that means they may need to coalesce six days of mail into two or three days.” In 2013, the Postal Service considered eliminating Saturday mail delivery. “It would be a huge savings to the Postal Service,” said Doherty, who explained it would reduce letter carrier positions. “It was put out there for one possibility, for cost-savings, and it was quickly shot down by Congress. Residents wanted their mail six days a week. Businesses want their mail on Saturdays.” Tabbita of the postal workers union isn’t sold on the idea that privatization will save the Postal Service because, as defined by the Trump administration, it would mean removing products and services that are not profitable and maximizing those that are profitable — and that’s counter to the purpose and structure of the Postal Service. “The problem with that theory is the Postal Service, being smaller and offering less services, can’t be profitable because it’s going to have to keep this huge network up and it can’t do that if it doesn’t have a substantial array of products and good volume,” said Tabbita. “There’s always a feeling the private sector can do things more efficiently — the Postal Service could be more efficient, more profitable, it should do certain things and not other things,” he added. “I think most of that is ideological. When you put the ideology aside and you look at the numbers and the practicality, the ideology just doesn’t hold up.” Liisa Rajala can be reached at lrajala@nhbr.com.
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NH OPINIONS
It’s not enough to not be racist
Racism is a policy of oppression that insinuated itself into every aspect of American life INSTITUTIONAL RACISM ● BY DAN WEEKS
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hat if I told you the sad and ignorant man who called my wife the N-word in New Hampshire isn’t really the problem? What if I said that well-mannered “white” folk like you and me are just as much the problem as he? Let me explain. The term “structural racism” is redundant. Racism didn’t start as an idea about individual biology, hardwired into crooked minds like his from the beginning. It started as a KING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY structure, a set of policies established by powerful people ONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN to increase wealth power. Its perpetrators hapRISM, NEWS, CHARITABLEtheir GIVING, MORE and ONLINE pened to come from Europe and have lighter skin. Its vicORD tims happened to come from Africa and have darker skin. To protect their ill-gotten gains, racist Europeans set out to invent odious ideas — about increased melanin in skin corresponding to decreased abilities and worth, and a curse that lasts forever — and called them “scientific” and “Godordained,” respectively. The ideas stuck. In the words of Ta-Nehisi Coates, “race is the child of racism, not the father.” With the idea of “white supremacy” firmly in place, antiblack racism perfected its hierarchical structures by pitting those with less wealth and power (poorer “whites”) against those with none at all (enslaved “blacks”) through policies of separate and unequal. Take 50-acre land grants to European farmers who completed their indentured servitude in Colonial America and 50 lashings, or worse, for enslaved Africans who dared to seek their freedom. Or take reparations paid to former enslavers by the U.S. government during the Civil War and denied to their human captives after it. The goal of these structures was to ensure less powerful people of all backgrounds would not unite to end the vicious charade. It worked. That’s what makes the edifice of racism so impregnable, even after the Human Genome Project definitively proved that race itself is a biological illusion: Too many well-meaning people of European descent ignore the systemic nature of racism from which we benefit, and instead assuage our guilt by focusing on racist ideas or the deeds of some bad cops. Those we superficially reject by proudly proclaiming “I don’t see color” or “I have black friends” or #BlackLivesMatter!
Which is why that sad and ignorant man who insulted my wife doesn’t bother me half as much as, say, the way we fund our public schools through local property taxes. If that sounds like a stretch, let’s take a tour of America’s racist policies through the lens of housing and education. If you descended from Europeans, like me, chances are your forebears came to this country in search of opportunity, encountered a period of hardship or even discrimination, assimilated into the dominant society of people who looked like them, and set about building a better future for their kids with the help of public schools. Rarely, if ever, did policies set them back. As a result, you probably received a decent education that helped you get a decent job that pays the rent or mortgage on a decent home, albeit with hard work and hardships of your own along the way. Maybe you even inherited your home from your hardworking parents. Regardless of how you came to live where you do, chances are your predominantly “white” New Hampshire town can afford a decent education for your kids through local property taxes (albeit unequally), thereby ensuring your kids will have a decent chance of getting a decent job, affording a decent home, and sending their kids to a decent school like you. Rinse and repeat. For centuries. But that is only half the story of housing and education in America. Unlike my freedom-seeking forebears who came to Portsmouth voluntarily in the 1600s to build a better life on land they did not own, the descendants of African Americans were stolen from their homes and brought to the “Land of Liberty” in chains. While my ancestors worked hard to own houses and attend school, enslaved “black” people, from New Hampshire to the Deep South, worked hard to enrich the whole of “white” society and were barred from owning even themselves for centuries. Those who dared assert their human rights were lynched and burned or beaten and resold with impunity. In the 20th century, African Americans joined my grandfather in fighting for democracy abroad in World War II only to find their democratic rights again curtailed
Isn’t it time to scrap ‘the pledge’? TO THE EDITOR:
Our national and state populations are absorbing stunning events and information at warp speed, so let’s take a moment to assess. Given the cocktail of failure we have been served, we are exhausted, overwhelmed and frightened about our future. The conclusions we make now will show up in the ultimate test of our values: the 2020 elections. What better time than now to question New Hampshire’s political shackle known as “the pledge”? The 50-year-old tax pledge, concocted by two reactionary conservatives, represents the “for me, not you” mentality that prohibits healthy and constructive growth. Throughout the years, New Hampshire folks have witnessed the slow and steady destruction of community within our towns and institutions. The pledge consistently undermines our state’s ability to address educational inequity, forces an overreliance on unconscionably high property taxes, delays necessary infrastructure investment and reinforces the pattern and practice of rural disinvestment. At this moment of calamity, we must give ourselves, and our next governor, all the tools available to create a society consistent with our new reality. The two men who demanded we genuflect to their political experiment are long dead; they never envisioned a time like this and either does their pledge.
ARNIE ARNESEN CONCORD
back home. They were denied Social Security as “domestic servants” and blocked from effectively accessing government-backed home loans under the GI Bill of Rights. When they saved up enough money to buy a decent house so their kids could attend a decent public school, they were denied access to suburbs by redlining and private covenants in a pattern of residential segregation that continues, de facto, to this day. When they won the right to vote for better housing and schools, they were systematically blocked from going to the polls in many states through discriminatory registration and other practices that continue unabated. And when they finally won the right to governmentbacked housing and financial aid, they were barred by the millions because of a criminal record conferred by a criminal “justice” system that has been termed “the new Jim Crow.” As a result, African Americans continue to occupy a world apart from “white” society when it comes to housing and education, and the right to life itself. Not only do more “black” men receive a criminal conviction than a college degree (mainly for nonviolent “offenses” that are humanely treated or ignored in “white” communities), but their children are effectively locked in substandard housing and schools, where over-policing and underinvestment are the norm. Now, as African Americans die in disproportionate numbers from both Covid-19 and police brutality, their schools are falling still further behind for lack of funds to facilitate remote learning. Is it any wonder the median “white” family has 41 times more wealth than the median “black” family in the United States today? Racism did not start as an idea — it started as a policy of oppression and insinuated itself into every aspect of American life. For more than 400 years, it has profited people like me at the expense of people of color like my wife and kids. To overcome our country’s “original sin,” we must do more than relinquish our odious ideas and not be racist — we must learn to become active practitioners of antiracism by dismantling the structures themselves. Dan Weeks is a director at ReVision Energy, an employee-owned Benefit Corporation that works on climate and racial justice. He lives in Nashua with his wife and three children.
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We must fix our inequitable healthcare system Amid Covid-19, New Hampshire has failed to provide healthcare to many in need RACIAL INEQUITIES BY NANCY GLYNN, LYNN CARPENTER AND GARY SOBELSON
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he graphic image of one man’s death did more than break hearts — it opened the floodgates of memories and generations of systemic racism and injustice. In one of our darkest hours, it reminded us that not all Americans are treated equally. And that this is not a problem for some, but a problem for every one of us. If some of our leaders try to divide us in a fog of hatred, we need to speak out. The issue at hand is equity — disparate results from our education, healthcare and justice systems based on the tone of
one’s skin. New research by Protect Our Care finds that African Americans are far more likely to face barriers to accessing health care and to protecting themselves from the coronavirus. Additionally, due to a variety of social and economic factors, they are more likely to suffer the brunt of the financial consequences of the pandemic. And that is true right here in New Hampshire. African Americans account for 5.7% of Covid-19 cases, while making up less than 2% of the population. This is not a new issue, but it is one that we have not given enough attention to, and now we are paying a human price for it. In New Hampshire, African Americans are more likely to lack insurance coverage. According to USA Today, “while the Affordable Care Act helped many people
of color get health coverage, many still don’t have insurance and access to providers. According to the Census, 8.5% of whites were uninsured in 2017, compared to 10.6% of African Americans, 7.3% for Asian Americans and 16.1% for Hispanics.” And the research found that black Americans have higher rates of chronic illnesses, putting them at a higher risk of contracting and dying from the coronavirus. All that is compounded by the fact that 19% of African Americans were unable to see a physician in 2018 due to lack of coverage or cost. There are times we look in the mirror and don’t like what we see and we don’t like what we have become. The deeprooted political divide that has fractured our society ran up against one of the most tragic parts of our national legacy
— racism and intolerance. America lost George Floyd to unspeakable brutality on May 25, and countless other African Americans before him. New Hampshire has lost far too many people to the coronavirus and failed to provide health care to many in need. This is our wake-up call: We need a healthcare system that is fair, accessible and does not discriminate against people of color here in New Hampshire. It is time to make it our top priority to close these gaps, to embrace tolerance and celebrate diversity. These are deep and very old wounds, we need to heal them and heal ourselves. Nancy Glynn works with Granite State Progress, Lynn Carpenter is administrator of Harris Hill Center in Loudon and Dr. Gary Sobelson is a physician in Concord.
The return-to-work balancing act How employers can navigate an often tricky situation WOKRPLACE POLICIES BY ANDREA CHATFIELD
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espite the fact that many New Hampshire employers are beginning to reopen or are ramping up operations, total claims for unemployment continue to increase. Although the number of new filings has recently been dropping week by week as the economy begins to slowly reopen, the number of people still receiving unemployment benefits are at near-record levels and are not decreasing. It’s likely that certain state and federal rules relating to unemployment benefits are contributing to these high numbers. No doubt, many furloughed or laid-off employees are eager to get back to work. However, employers are encountering situations where some employees are reluctant or even refuse to return to work. Based on Governor Sununu’s Emergency Order No. 5, and the federal CARES Act, both of which expanded unemployment benefits for Covid-19-related reasons, individuals qualify for unemployment benefits when they are able to self-certify as to being unable to work due to one of the enumerated circumstances related to the pandemic. However, the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security does not
require any supporting proof, which provides wide latitude to employees in qualifying for unemployment benefits. In addition, the CARES Act provides an additional $600 of weekly federal unemployment benefit to recipients until July 31. For many employees, this results in their unemployment benefit being more than what their regular weekly earnings would be. However, in guidance about the expanded unemployment reasons under the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Labor states that an employee who simply wishes to continue receiving enhanced unemployment benefits is not eligible for such benefits. According to both the USDOL and NHES, an individual who refuses an offer of work is eligible for unemployment benefits only if the individual is unable to work as a direct result of Covid-19, but a subjective general fear of exposure to the coronavirus is not one of the related reasons enumerated in the CARES Act and does not establish eligibility for unemployment benefits. Therefore, employers should put their offers to return to work in writing and explain the measures being implemented in accordance with applicable guidelines for a safe workplace. Employees who are reluctant to return to work, or who refuse the offer, should be asked to explain their reasons. If an
employee provides vague reasons or mentions they want to keep receiving unemployment benefits that are greater than weekly earnings, the employer may be justified treating such refusal as job abandonment. The employer also should report the offer to return to work to NHES. If the employer has clear knowledge that the reason the employee is refusing to work would not qualify them for unemployment, it should also report this to NHES. Of course, there are valid reasons an employee needs to stay out of work, and employers will need to have a dialogue with the employee to understand the employee’s concerns and whether the employer has legal obligations in addressing such concerns. For example, if an individual has symptoms related to Covid-19 or lives with someone who has Covid-19, it is important that they stay home for their health and/or to prevent the spread of the virus. The employee may need to stay home to care for their child whose school or day care is unavailable due to the pandemic. In these situations, the employer will need to comply with employment laws and its own policies on leaves of absence, job reinstatement and, if feasible, consider extending the employee’s ability to work from home. If the employee has an underlying medical condition that makes them
vulnerable to Covid-19 and qualifies as a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act or New Hampshire’s Law Against Discrimination, the employer is required to engage in an interactive process to determine if reasonable accommodation is needed (for example, more safety protocols in the workplace, allowing continuation of remote working, or extending reasonable duration of leave). Anxiety disorders, which can also qualify as covered disabilities, may also prevent an employee from feeling able to go to work during the pandemic. Unlike unemployment qualifications, in these types of situations an employer can require the employee to provide a doctor’s notes certifying to the physical or mental condition and providing guidance on what accommodation the employee needs in order to safely perform the essential functions of their job. If the employee expresses concern regarding the safety of the employer’s workplace, the employer should be ready to explain all the measures and protocols it is putting in place to comply with the Governor’s Universal Guidelines and latest guidelines from the CDC and OSHA. Balancing employees’ concerns and the need to staff the workplace has never been trickier for employers. Andrea Chatfield, an attorney with Cook, Little, Rosenblatt & Manson, is vice chair of the Business & Industry Association’s HR, Healthcare & Workforce Development policy committee.
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Positioning for coronavirus recovery
As financial and legal landscapes evolve with the changing environment of the Covid-19 virus, sectors are strategizing about how to best prepare for the recovery period. Businesses can still take advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), but they should know about its changing requirements and what some of the best strategies might be. At the same time, if your business needs financial assistance, the process could be a bit more protracted. NH Business Review reached out to ING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY a pair of experts ONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN to learn some of the ways to bestGIVING, position business for ISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE MORE aONLINE the inevitable return to post-pandemic RD normalcy. Our experts: • Patrick Closson, Director and Chair, Corporate Department, McLane Middleton. mclane.com • William E. Kidder, Jr., Sr. Vice President and Senior Lending Officer, Ledyard National Bank. ledyardbank.com
Patrick Closson, Director and Chair, Corporate Department, McLane Middleton n Q. How
did the recent “necessity certification” update by the SBA affect the forgiveness process of the PPP? Closson: “On May 13, 2020, the United States Small Business Administration updated its Frequently Asked Questions to provide guidance on the certification concerning the necessity of a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The certification that borrowers are required to make is that “[c]urrent economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the applicant.” The SBA established a safe harbor for any borrower with an original principal amount of less than $2 million, which provides that these borrowers will be deemed to have made the required certification concerning the
necessity of the loan request in good faith. “For borrowers with original principal amounts in excess of $2 million, compliance with the necessity certification will be based on the borrower’s circumstances. The SBA explained that borrowers with PPP loans in excess of $2 million are subject to the requirements set forth in the PPP Interim Final Rules and in the Borrower Application Form. If the SBA determines that a borrower lacked an adequate basis for necessity of the loan, the SBA will seek repayment of the outstanding PPP loan balance and will inform the lender that the borrower is not eligible for loan forgiveness. If the loan is repaid following receipt of notice for repayment, the SBA will not pursue an enforcement action. “Since May 13, the subsequent guidance, interim rules and form of Forgiveness Application that have been issued by the SBA have not provided any additional clarification, insight or interpretation of the ‘necessity certification.’”
Q. What advice would you give to someone who is now considering applying for the PPP because of the necessity update? n
Closson: “The recent guidance does not significantly change the obligation that someone who applies for a PPP loan must do so based on a good faith belief that the ‘[c]urrent economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.’ The $2 million safe harbor may provide applicants with some measure of comfort, but I would not advise someone to apply for a PPP loan if they are unable to make the required certification. The rules associated with the PPP loan are complicated and have changed several times over the past two months (and there are discussions in Congress that additional changes may be made to the program). In order to obtain forgiveness, an applicant will need to complete a forgiveness application that requires a significant amount of de-
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tailed information regarding how the proceeds of the loan where used, and requires the applicant to retain records of how the funds were used for a period of six years. This burden is largely outweighed by the ability to quickly access money that is needed to support the applicant’s business.” n Q. How does the PPP loan distribution reflect the need in New Hampshire? Closson: “The demand for the PPP loan funds was very high during the first round of funding and the initial part of the second round of funding. This demand demonstrates the need that New Hampshire businesses and nonprofits have for this funding. Given the complexity of the program and the guidance that has come out regarding the program, I believe that some businesses decided not to apply for these funds because of concerns about their ability to qualify for forgiveness or not wanting to get involved in a program that was constantly changing. While there continues to be significant need among New Hampshire’s businesses and nonprofits, at this point these organizations seem to be focusing on reopening and getting back to business.”
Coronavirus and Business Recovery Centers Visit our Business Recovery Center for timely information to help your business navigate the road to recovery. New Hampshire: Manchester | Concord | Portsmouth Massachusetts: Woburn | Boston McLane.com
William E. Kidder, Jr., Sr. Vice President and Senior Lending Officer, Ledyard National Bank Kidder: “You may have made it through the Covid-19 stay-at-home order with varying degrees of success, or events may still be seriously impacting your business. In either event, you will want to look forward and ask, ‘How I can best position my business for growth and recovery?’ To the extent that your business relies on bank financing to support its operations, you may see a different focus in the questions being asked, and an increased scrutiny on lines of credit in particular.”
Q. What does your income statement look like going forward? n
Kidder: “Banks have generally considered historical performance to be a good indicator of future performance. The events surrounding Covid-19 have altered this assumption, and you will likely see requests for income statement projections with a deeper analysis of the assumptions behind the projections. Banks understand
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that forecasting performance in these times is difficult and inexact. For this reason, the assumptions made and the ability to clearly explain the basis for the assumptions will be important. “Questions around revenue may include: • How will your products or services change post pandemic? • Are there new business opportunities that you will pursue? • How have your customers been impacted? • When and if purchases will return to historical levels. • Will you have to make concessions in either price or terms to reach the projected revenue? “Cost of goods sold may prompt questions about the diversity and strength of your vendors, as well as potential changes in costs or payment terms. Operating expenses have likely been reduced during the pandemic, perhaps through concessions on the part of vendors, landlord and employees. Questions are likely to arise related to when those concessions will be removed, and if they will create a future liability. • How will you determine when to bring personnel back and what will the new work environment look like? • What increased costs will there be associated with operations as a result of employee or customer expectations for safety precautions? “Ultimately the projections and assumptions will define when your business will return to the historical norm, or what it will look like if transitioning to a new normal.” n Q. What does your cash flow look like in recovery? Kidder: “I hate to say it but managing cash flow in a downturn can be easier
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than managing cash flow as you reopen and sales increase. During these difficult times, vendors, lenders and landlords may have made concessions or allowed payment deferrals; wages and salaries may have decreased, been eliminated or been supported by an SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan; you probably reduced inventory levels and collected accounts receivable — all of which supported the business’s cash flow. “As you begin to return to more normal operations and increase your sales, your cash flow projection will be important in not only managing the business, but in allowing your bank to understand how and why they should support your working capital needs. The cash flow projection should address the impact of any deferred payments and vendors returning to normal terms, as resuming too early may deprive the business of cash flow necessary to support the increase in wages, inventory and accounts receivable. Inventory levels may need to be increased – for example, many restaurants that closed donated their perishable supplies and will now need to restock. Suppliers may have challenges of their own which could lead to reduced credit limits, changes in terms or increased pricing. All of which may impact your business cash flow, production capacity or sales. The final step in the cash conversion cycle is the collection of your accounts receivable, which may be at greater risk due to financial weakness in your customer base. Will you reevaluate the credit terms you extend? What impact will there be on sales or on cash flow? “If you have an SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan, make every effort to maximize the forgiveness aspect of the loan. During these challenging times, businesses will need to be creative, flexible and seek every opportunity to maximize cash flow and profitability.”
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HEALTHCARE
NH ranks among nation’s best for child well-being But outcomes vary based on where in the state the child lives
LAKES REGION
NASHUA REGION
BY HADLEY BARNDOLLAR
CHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, HOSPITALS, BANKING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY AND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN NSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE nother TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD
According to a first-ever comprehensive ranking of U.S. counties released by nonprofit Save the Children, New Hampshire ranks third in the country for states whose children have the most protected childhoods. But across the state’s 10 counties, there are stark disparities. Save the Children’s report, “The Land of Inopportunity: Closing the Childhood Equity Gap for America’s Kids,” provides both bird’s-eye and granular views of child well-being across the country through both state and county-level data. Some child welfare officials in the Granite State worry that conditions caused by the coronavirus could set the state back in its progress. Federal, state and local dollars will be required to reinvest in an entire generation of children, they say. “This pandemic has really brought to light how vulnerable kids are,” said Mary Lou Beaver, Waypoint’s director of the Children’s Place and Parent Education Center in Concord. “I think we’re going to see some serious issues we’re going to have to deal with as we start to come out of this, as far as kids go.” But the unprecedented crisis has also brought opportunities for more collaboration across organizations, and services increasing access that perhaps wouldn’t have happened otherwise, like virtual meetings with direct service providers. “I have not seen this level of excitement, movement and willing-
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Caring for our communities and members, big and small. We’ve been here for more than 50 years, and we’ll continue to be here for you through this uncertain time with resources to help you navigate your health. See what we’re doing to help our communities at HarvardPilgrim.org
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care includes Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of Connecticut, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, and HPHC Insurance Company. Form No: NH_43315_0520
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van, Coos and Carroll counties. In the state-level rankings, New Hampshire is No. 1 in the nation for lowest infant ness to change how we’re doing business death rate, and despite disparities demin a way that impacts families, and having onstrated in the report, Save the Children families at the table, too,” said Donnalee pegs New Hampshire as having a lesser NASHUA REGION LAKES REGION Lozeau, executive director of Southern child equity gap than other states. New Hampshire Services and former At the county level, Carroll County has mayor of Nashua. the highest numbers reflecting child morAccording to the Save the Children retality, at 53.9 deaths among children unport, New Hampshire has a 10.1.% child der age 18 per 100,000 population. poverty rate, but county rankings range Sullivan County has an alarming 16% HITECTURE, ENGINEERING, BANKING,down PERSONAL from the top 50HOSPITALS, in the country to FINANCE, ENERGY high school dropout rate, and Coos CounAND JUMPS, IN BRIEF, FLOTSAM, LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN the 300s. NSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE ty has the most teen pregnancies per The county rankings are based on four nother TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD 1,000 females ages 15 to 19. child indicators: child deaths (average Grafton and Rockingham counties rank of two data sets, 2009-2018 and 201433rd and 34th as the best counties for 2018), child hunger (2017), high school children nationwide, respectively. dropout rates (2016-2018) and teen pregFROM PAGE 25
nancy (2018). Poverty rates shown in the graph below are from 2018. Nikki Gillette, report researcher for Save the Children, said the report shows all across the country there are “pockets of deprivation” next to counties where children are doing very well, demonstrating a zip code can be a determinant for a child’s future. State level data can hide those huge inequities — which exist even within counties — she said; the reason Save the Children decided to take a closer look. In New Hampshire, Rockingham County — ranking second in the state overall — has the state’s lowest child poverty rate of 6.7%, while Coos County — ranking ninth overall — has a 21% rate, the highest. In all but seven states, rural childhood poverty rates exceed those of urban childhood poverty, the report says, and the same rings true in the Granite State. The highest rates of poverty are in Sulli-
Silver livings “Rankings are complicated,” said Maura O’Neill, appointed last year to head the newly formed New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate, serving as an independent overseer of the child welfare system. A good ranking should not cloak the struggling and vulnerable children who exist across the state, she said, and more work needs to be done to lift them up. However, O’Neill said, New Hampshire is “certainly on its way to building out really good child-centric programs and services.” She added: “Even now in the pandemic, the governor is really committed to keep moving forward on the investment that he’s making in child welfare,” O’Neill said.
“The heart of that is building out community-based services.” O’Neill said amid the virus outbreak, the state has been able to develop a remote and virtual infrastructure for its child welfare system, and “we’re already seeing services in parts of the state we haven’t had before.” She noted a remote juvenile diversion program in the North Country as an example. Joelyn Drennan, senior program manager at the New Hampshire Children’s Trust, said the virtual services appearing during the virus outbreak have been able to bridge disparities and gaps that existed prior, especially those in rural areas. “If you can do a home visit virtually, you can reach so many more families,” Drennan said. “I really hope that is something that will stay. It’s a very economical way to expand services. A lot of families disengage in services because of transportation issues, for example. But if the appointment comes to them, they’re more likely to engage and we’re more likely to see improvements in outcomes.” Lozeau of Southern New Hampshire Services said New Hampshire’s child protection and well-being system is going through a “transformative time,” citing an investment by state officials and agencies she hasn’t seen before. “We have an opportunity right now because of some of the barriers that have been moved in the system to help families in a very different way,” she said. But, said Joy Barrett, CEO of the Granite State Children’s Alliance, which oversees child advocacy centers around the state,
while New Hampshire’s latest ranking is a “congratulatory moment signaling that most children are well in New Hampshire, the reality is there are many that are not. We need to leverage what makes us rank well to help all of the kids here,” she said. Beaver, of the Children’s Place and Parent Education Center in Concord, is concerned about the pandemic’s impacts on childcare and early childhood education. “Trauma can have an impact for an entire life span and for many of the younger kids, especially those we serve, these are the formative years when the most brain growth is taking place,” she said. Beaver expects child care centers — some of which may not survive the crisis — will have to bring in behavioral and mental health consults for both children and families when buildings reopen. “Two months or more in quarantine is going to take its toll,” she said. “I really am concerned about what’s going on behind closed doors that we’re not aware of.” The state is going to have to see a major investment in childcare and early childhood education, Beaver said. “For every dollar you invest, you get a return of seven or more dollars,” Beaver said. “If we support children and their families as a whole unit as they grow, those kids have a really much better chance of becoming better productive members of society and adding to the economy. It just makes sense.” Hadley Barndollar is a 2020 Inequality in America press fellow for Save the Children. This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
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Maintaining well-being in a drawn-out job search How to remain upbeat without feeling overwhelmed BY KELLY A. CLARK
Individuals, regardless of their age, can expect to encounter many more unexpected job transitions throughout their working life. Anna was one of these individuals. She previously worked as an aluminum-framing estimator, but was a victim of the 2008 recession. Two weeks after she was laid off, she was diagnosed with a severe case of Lyme disease. She described her experience as “very overwhelming, extremely stressful” and not very good for her self-esteem. Anna was unemployed for over 14.5 months. She exhausted her retirement accounts and cashed everything out to pay for medical expenses. With patience, family support, determination and the benefit of time, Anna was able to put in place coping mechanisms to protect her well-being in the midst of the storm clouds that were rolling in and out of her life. She and her family made major lifestyle adjustments. Anna’s son moved back home to help offset expenses. During unemployment, Anna rediscovered her love for art. “Something I always wanted to work on was my artwork,” she said. “If you have a passion, something you love to do, if somebody’s unemployed, they should be doing it, taking
advantage of that time, even if it was gardening, cooking, it doesn’t matter. They will be happier and more content as a person and then be able to think straighter and think better to solve problems.” Searching for a job requires a significant amount of work and can be draining if not pursued in a way that incorporates self-care and a positive attitude. If you tackle the job search with passion and motivation rather than dread, you will achieve the desired outcome and do so in a way that buffers your health and well-being. So how do you keep from getting discouraged and maintain a positive mindset during a job search that may last six months or more? I asked to 16 long-term unemployed baby boomers who maintained their well-being and remained upbeat despite their job search woes. Six pieces of advice emerged from their stories: • Use your time productively. It is important to establish and maintain a daily schedule that includes both job search and nonsearch activities. Besides your job search, you could take on a household project, invest in a hobby or do other things that nurture you. Elena, a woman who had been unemployed for 30 months, decided to renovate
Thank you #HealthcareHeroes
her home. “It was a godsend because I have done quite a bit of the work myself sort of like a job every single day. And, I have learned new skills and it’s given me a feeling of accomplishment and it’s kept me, I think, from falling into the abyss,” she said. • Think creatively about generating income. For instance, you might reduce your household expenses by getting a roommate. For Kate, this was part of her solution: “I couldn’t afford my house. So, my daughter took over my expenses for me and moved her family into my house, otherwise I’d be sunk right now. I was able to move out, and I’m just paying for a room from my friend.” Also, look at turning a hobby into an incomegenerating opportunity or pursue part-time job opportunities while the full-time job search continues. • Engage your network. Keep up with friends and meet new people. And if your social group is breeding negativity, find a new one. One woman in the study group grew tired of networking with other unemployed people who were becoming discouraged, so she started her own network with people who were running businesses and gainfully employed. • Stay positive. Keeping a positive selfimage and sense of optimism and being
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honest with yourself about your weaknesses and strengths, and reappraising accordingly, will help you negotiate your inner struggles. John advised, “To allow negativity to enter into my process … or to get angry or upset only makes the situation more difficult. So it’s kind of like you got to face piles of trials with smiles. You can only do the best you can do. And then you have to congratulate yourself that you did as good as you could do.” • Take control of the situation. Take advantage of free employment counseling and online resources. Enroll in an education or training program, like most of my study participants did. • Focus on giving. Try volunteering. Rob, who had been out of work for nine months, reflected on how he enjoyed using his time to help others: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the older folks in my community. That’s been very rewarding. I obtain insight from working with people and seeing people in the late stages of life. It’s been utterly phenomenal for me.” Mindful. Motivated. Engaged. Sounds like a winning combination to me. Kelly A. Clark, Ph.D., is an experienced nonprofit executive, author and graduate-level educator who works in workforce development.
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THE LATEST ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
EVR Advertising, Manchester, has named Ami Cadugan as media director. Most recently, Cadugan was vice ANCE, ENERGY OUT TOWN president of media at Toasted BLE GIVING,services MORE ONLINE Collective in Boston, Mass.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
In its most recent examination by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Union Bank received an “outstanding” rating for its compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act in Vermont and New Hampshire. According to the FDIC, “an institution in this group has an outstanding record of helping to meet the credit needs of its assessment area, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, in a manner consistent with its resources and capabilities.”
awarded $495,000 in scholarships to 120 New Hampshire college students since 2005. This year’s winners are: Quinn Boyce of Pittsfield, Plymouth State University; Kelly Cunningham of Manchester, Colby-Sawyer College; Riley Dionne, Barrington, University of New Hampshire; Janelle Fassi, Goffstown, Saint Anselm College; Colette Rinker, Keene, Keene State College; Hannah Rudolph, Franklin, University of New Hampshire; and Cecilia Souza, Salem, Rivier University.
CONSTRUCTION
Franklin Pierce University announced
Brookstone Builders Inc., Manchester,
Pam Roy, vice presi-
dent, member service and human resources at New Hampshire Federal Credit Union, recently earned her master’s in business administration degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
has been awarded a renovation project by Community College System of New Hampshire. The project involves interior renovation of approximately 8,000 square feet of current classroom and lab space at Manchester Community College. Mark Brockelman will serve as Brookstone Builders’ project manager and Dennis Mires, P.A. of Manchester, will be the project’s architects.
EDUCATION
Ledyard National Bank has announced the promotion of Katie Blake of Grantham to vice president and regional retail manager, responsible for managing the overall performance of Ledyard’s retail branches while continuing to manage the New London branch.
Seven New Hampshire college students have each been awarded a $5,000 College Equals Opportunity scholarship by The NHHEAF Network. The recipients, rising college juniors and seniors, were recognized for demonstrating outstanding leadership abilities, a commitment to civic engagement and academic excellence. In collaboration with state business leaders who serve as sponsors of the scholarship program, NHHEAF has
the creation of a partnership with Millyard Bank in Nashua, through which the bank’s employees and clients as well as their families can enroll in online undergraduate and graduate-level programs at Franklin Pierce and receive a 20% discount on tuition. Rivier University,
Nashua, said it has taken the top spot in RegisteredNursing. com’s evaluation of the college’s online registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing degree. The study is based on data provided by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education and the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Genevieve McGillicuddy, a 1994 gradu-
ate of Franklin Pierce University, as been elected to the Rindgebased university’s board of trustees. McGillicuddy is vice president, enterprises
and strategic partnerships at Turner Classic Movies in Atlanta, Ga., with responsibility for creating, promoting, publicizing, directing and executing festivals and events.
HEALTHCARE
SPORTS Montcalm Golf Club in Enfield has introduced Golfer’s Dream, a new golf school being offered this summer in one- and two-day formats for men, women and juniors, which includes video analysis, instruction, unlimited practice and golf, club storage and lunch. The Golfer’s Dream one-day school dates are Wednesdays, July 8 and Aug. 12, while the two-day school dates are Wednesdays and Thursdays July 16-17 and Aug. 13-14. The school is headed by Montcalm head golf professional Steve Rogers. For more information, call 603-448-5665 or visit montcalmgolfclub. com.
GOVERNMENT Keene Housing has received accreditation for its commitment to providing affordable housing from the national Affordable Housing Accreditation Board. Keene Housing is a participant in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Move to Work, a program for public housing authorities that allows them to design and test strategies to use federal dollars more efficiently, help residents find employment and increase housing choices for families of low income.
Nurse practitioner Nicola Levasseur has joined Seacoast Dermatology. Her focus is skin cancer detection and treating skin health issues specific to women of all ages. She joins Seacoast Dermatology from the Phillips Exeter Academy Lamont Health & Wellness Center in Exeter, NH.
announced a grant of $593,736 to Dartmouth-Hitchcock to improve access to specialty care for people living with Crohn’s disease across northern New England. Dartmouth-Hitchcock will expand its current telemedicine program for inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, creating a Virtual IBD Center to extend its Crohn’s disease services across Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Family Physical Therapy Services, Bedford, has hired Marie Maruca as office administrator.
Southern New Hampshire Health of Nashua
is now a point of entry into The Doorway program, the statewide initiative that provides comprehensive addiction services to residents suffering from a substance use disorder. The program helps to facilitate access to treatment and offers ongoing monitoring as needed. There are nine Doorway locations in the state, providing single points of entry for people seeking treatment, resources for prevention and awareness. The Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association has named Dr. David Green of the Concord Hospital Center for Urologic Care to its board of trustees. Green, who retired earlier this year as senior vice president and chief medical officer of Concord Hospital, has more than 40 years of experience in medical practice. The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has
Matt Lane of Ports-
mouth has joined Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Portsmouth as director of business operations. Lane previously worked at Shields Health Care Group as a territory manager and covered New Hampshire and Maine.
TECHNOLOGY Helios Hockey, a Ports-
mouth-based sports technology company, has been selected to participate in MassChallenge’s Boston 2020 accelerator program after being selected from among more than 1,100 startup applicants. The MassChallenge accelerator supports more than 100 earlystage startups across industries and from regions around the world. At its culmination in October, top startups have an op-
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J U N E 19 - J U LY 16, 2020
Harbor Homes, Nashua, has received a $25,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation to help end homelessness in greater Nashua and New Hampshire. The funds will be used to support the continuum of Harbor Homes’ housing services, from street outreach and temporary housing to case management and permanent homes.
Gina Ferrante named CFO of Waypoint CPA Gina Ferrante has been named chief financial officer of Manchester-based Waypoint. Ferrante brings over two decades of experience to this position. She previously served as director of finance and accounting at Community Teamwork, Lowell, Mass., and has held senior accounting positions at Digital Equipment Corp. and Price Waterhouse. “Her knowledge of nonprofit economics along with her ability to think strategically and work collaboratively in a multi-faceted organization, will be a great asset to us as continue to meet the changing needs of people throughout New Hampshire,” said Waypoint CEO Borja Alvarez de Toledo.
portunity to compete for up to $1 million in cash prizes. Portsmouth Family CareSpace, a maker of a platform used by senior care providers, has entered a partnership with PointClickCare, a Canadian firm that is a leading cloud-based software vendor for the senior care market. Under the partnership, Family CareSpace’s location engagement solution will be integrated with PointClickCare’s electronic health record platform and listed on the PointClickCare Marketplace, an online platform that enables customers to easily evaluate authorized third-party technology partners. BAE Systems has
been awarded a $43.5 million contract to provide key autonomy and artificial intelligence capabilities to the Squad X Core Technologies program being developed by prime contractor Lockheed Martin. Squad X is an initiative of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. BAE also announced that it successfully completed
test-fires of its APKWS laser-guided rockets from a ground-based weapon system for the first time. The system, it said, allows soldiers and marines to engage targets with a greater range than small arms fire and without the need for air support.
MANUFACTURING Contoocook-based Prototek, a firm that specializes in rapid prototyping and production of precision sheet metal fabrication and CNC machining, has named John Cleary as operations manager for its Grafton, Wis., facility. Before joining Prototek, Cleary was division president/ operations manager at Pace Industries. Earlier, he held operations manager positions with Mumford Metal Casting; LMI Manufacturing; Allcast, Inc.; and Craft Cast Co. Inc.
ly distributed nearly four tons of nonperishable food items to 18 social service agencies, food pantries and churches as part of the program’s Year-Round Distribution Project. The special distribution replaced the National Association of Letter Carriers’ 28th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spaulding Youth Center has been
awarded a five-year program accreditation by the New Hampshire Department of Education. NHDOE representatives visited Spaulding’s campus to review the programs and services available to children and youth with educational disabilities compared to all private special education schools statewide.
building that was the former site of Fallon’s Furniture. Buyer was Ricky Enterprises LLC, which intends to use the space for an animal boarding, day care and training facility, said Lisa Ferrari, who represented the buyer. The seller, SAD Development, was represented by Jay Lee of Verani Realty. According to the Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds, the selling price was $1.050 million.
South Portland, Mainebased Residential Mortgage Services, Inc. has made financial contributions to 14 food banks, including the New Hampshire Food Bank, in the company’s market, which runs through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
RETAIL
The Capital Region Food Program has re-
Cheese Louise, an
ceived a $2,500 grant from Kiwanis International’s Children’s Fund, in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Concord. The funds will be used to support efforts of the program’s Year-Round Distribution Project.
NONPROFITS
artisan grilled cheese eatery, is opening a kiosk in the Settlers Green courtyard. The kiosk is owned and operated by Bryce Harrison, James Gaudreult and Ian Lufkin, all graduates of Kennett High School in Con-
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Max Latona, executive director of the Center for Ethics in Business and Governance PAGE 27
Growth amid to benefit The Daniel Webster uncert The 10 most common ai nt y Council–Boy Scouts of n wage rt and hour amyle pshirel ’s econo eHamra is still in good violations of 2019 Ge theNewlabor s shape store c local age iconibe could e of futur holding things back , but America has named Communities warily eyeshort Following the money to tackle the opioid crisis Lessons we can Jim Steiner of Concord learn from the Boeing fiasco W aste The SECURE Act president. Steiner, an and your Eagle Scout and West Bed and breakfasts, 2.0 estate plan Point graduate, has Tax cuts a popular move aid boost after As schoo landfil ll spa Lessons from ce diminishes, Hallmark’s adpracticed law in New New Hampshire crisis moment pulling faces a trash dispo sal crossroads Hampshire for over 30 The pros and personality tescons of ting years and currently is New Hampshire’s Canadian conundrum lly be imported? Experts tackle principal of the SteinerCan prescription drugs actua iss on ‘Work of the ues Future’ Law Office. He will A new vision for Queen City Manchester serve a two-year term Proud to un schools veil propos ed vision for district in his new role. Re-evaluating who the economy is supposed
OM ONLINE @ NHBR.C
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EW FEATUR ED INTERVI
Q&A : Airport Director Ted Kitchens
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ONLINE @
NH has gotten $64m from feds; PAGE 9 what has it accomplished?
(Photo by Allegra Boverman)
watchers
BY DAVE SOLOMON
Seacoast ‘apart-hotels’ herald a new
era in hospitality
Tackling the void, Palardy, When Doug Palardy arrived together with in Portsmouth his partner and husband Dan in 2008 to explore business Innis, began by opportunities, he purchasing, renovating, operating and sellwas taken by the city’s “hip, vibrant vibe” that ing two hotels between 2008 and 2015. They drew growing numbers of “cool turned the Bow Street Inn into the Ale House when it came to accommoda people.” But tions, he found Inn and the Sise Hotel into “a kind of void” and thought, the Hotel Ports“There needs mouth — between 2008 and to be something cool here. 2015. Since then If you’re not stay- they have transformed two historic building at the Sheraton or the Hilton,” he added, ings into what may well be the first so-called “you’re staying at grandma’s bed and break- “apart-hotels” in the state fast. There needs to be — The Great Issomething cool here.” ‘APART-HOTELS’, PAGE 15
FEA TUR ED
act Districts around state d after one-time funds OK’
has announced the purchase of 257 Daniel Webster Highway, the 12,600-square-foot
in greed, and testified ing pharmaceutical two other bills sponfavor of this bill and to “bend moment in Con- sored by Democrats, all designed n drugs. It was a rare bipartisan room on Jan. 21, the cost curve” of prescriptio cord. In a packed hearing same talking points Both quoted from the Democratic majority cy Sen. Dan Feltes, the gu- — affordability, accessibility, transparen party’s his for leader and a candidate same statistics: New n, introduced a bill he — citing some of the bernatorial nominatio the highest drug enable the state Hampshire has some of is sponsoring that would the average annual Canada. prices in the country; to import drugs from nearly 60% between Chris Sununu, the Re- cost of drugs rose $1,152 Moments later, Gov. strode 2012 and 2017 in New Hampshire (to challenge, to hopes 16 publican Feltes PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, PAGE red shirts denouncBY JOHN in, past retirees wearing ANG
BY BOB SANDERS
ELO
Wearing red
2Revolution s, a natio nal tion reform initiative that educamajor positi identifies ve trends in education MANCHESTER PROUD, PAGE 16
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tion costs and education. The additional funding, besplit about evenly of tween the two years s the biennium, represent to an interim measure of shore up the finances BYsed PAULA TRAC Y the most hard-pres MeanAcad emic, busin school districts. ess e ers bega n a conversat and government leadwhile, the Legislatur ion for the comFeb. 5 on what established a study new decade the future present look like in of the job mission that will will market New Ham next recommendationsMore than 100 peop pshire. to le came to eye January with an in Manchester the Millyard — where distrimanufactu essentially restructuring the ring began in 13 New Ham SCHOOL FUNDING, PAGE more than pshire 100 years ago — cuss how the state will grow to disand move , change forward as the population ages. Issues of findin g labor to fill jobs in the state , replacing some work with automation , and strategies to cation and develop eduopportunit y for the future were core topic s discussed among the at “Work the Future” of in New Ham pshir e. The state Departme nt of Business and Economic fairs, Mass Afachu tute of Techn setts Instiology and Communi the ty College Syste of New Ham pshire conv m the meeting ened as a way to beWOR
Event looks potential for at concerns, new jobs
After some Memorial shirts denouncing two years High Scho ing input of gatherol. al greed, Mancheste pharmaceutic from the r residents supbusiness and aged civic comm in encou turn out are to atten retirees unity, stude rd. educators, Project coord port of the bills to the Manchestents and inato organizatio r Proud inger, desig Barry Brens lowerrcosts. n’s n principal reshape the proposed plan to tectu at the archire chester Scho future of the Man- Manc firm Lavallee Brens inger in ol District hester, spoke will be offi- a cially prese to the heart nted to the proposal that of city’s Board of School was shape two years Committee d over with Thursday, at 6 p.m. Feb. 20, at munity input considerable comMancheste and the consu r of both ltancy Reaching Higher NH and
Comcast has launched
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Since October 2018, New Hampshire’s governor and Executive Council have approved contracts for more than $64.5 million in federal money to create PAGE the22Doorway system of referral and treatment for opioid addiction. The state was awarded $45.6 million for 2019 and 2020 in State Opioid Response funding from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and almost $12 million in additional funding for year one. Another $6.9 million for the Doorway came from federal sources not linked to the opioid response grant, BY MICHAEL KITCH as the 2021 state and years 2020 continues to struggle with The budget for fiscal in school of theaid increaseone highest per-capita provides the steepest orCourt rates of e Supreme opioid addiction and fasince the New Hampshir of an adetal overdoses nationwide. fund the cost dered the state to The AltogethGranite State News Coldecades ago. quate education two laborative increases set out to determine er, the budget by where that biennium money the has gone and aid for what it has includes accomplished. A year $139 million and for program, into million two-year another $27.2the reOPIOID CRISIS, PAGE 16 building aid, transporta special
way. Cheese Louise has a full menu of original grilled cheese sandwiches as well as mac and cheese and tomato basil soup.
Mind Your
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REAL ESTATE
The Capital Region Food Program recent-
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QA &
INTERVIEW BY JACK KENNY
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n Q. Before
your confirmation in 2017, you said, “I think our education system is in a perfect storm moment, that it needs to
Education Commissioner
Frank Edelblut
Few, if any, previous commissioners of the New Hampshire Department of Education have drawn as much criticism and controversy as Commissioner Frank Edelblut. From the time he was nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu in January 2017, opponents have seized on Edelblut’s lack of any previous executive experience in the field of education, his homeschooling of his own seven children, and his advocacy of charter school expansion to provide students and parents with greater educational choices. His most frequent and vocal critic in Concord appears to be Executive Councilor and 2020 Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Andru Volinsky, who has labeled the commissioner an “education detractor” seeking to “preside over the demise of public schools.”
n Q. What is
the extent of the challenge schools are facing from the coronavirus and the current school closings? A. We are trying to shift our institutional model from an in-person delivery to a remote instructional and support model, because remote instruction and support results in remote learning for our students.
n Q. What does
the remote support involve? A. We applied for and obtained a waiver from the federal government regarding a food distribution program and another [waiver] regarding students that have individual education plans, to call out a variety of services to support these students.
n Q. Ever since
the governor nominated you for the job, opponents have objected that you had no working experience in the field of education. Is that a valid objection? A. What I would tell you is that I have
been doing this job for three years effectively in support of our entire education system in New Hampshire.
shift gears and move into the 21st century.” What is the perfect storm? A. The perfect storm I was referring to
is the fact that over a period of 40 years, student achievement has remained flat and the educational disparity for students through economic disadvantage, for minority students and students with disabilities, has widened.
n Q. So
what do you mean by shifting gears and moving into the 21st century? A. Moving into the 21st century means
being willing to evaluate the efficacy of our institutional and our support model to make sure that equity gaps for disadvantaged students are closed. And it means a willingness to step outside our comfort zone and try alternative approaches in helping to reach all students.
n Q. Critics
of the Learn Everywhere program say it takes from the local school districts the authority to determine what out-ofschool activities qualify for credits toward graduation and which do not. Why do you believe it’s better for those decisions to be made by the state? A. Learn Everywhere is an excellent pro-
gram that provides families and students the opportunity to capitalize on learning opportunities that happen throughout our communities. The decisions of families about education options for their children represents the most local control and decision-making about the education of children.
n Q. May
a student get physical education credits for, say, taking a karate course or art credits for taking a dance class? A. In the Learn Everywhere program that is approved by the state, which includes evaluation by New Hampshire educators, students could have the opportunity to
A career businessperson, Frank Edelblut has been New Hampshire’s education commissioner since 2017. (AP photo)
earn credit across the full spectrum of classes and areas of study that are required by the state’s minimum standards for graduation.
n Q. But
traditionally, education is meant to expose the student to a wide variety of physical education or art programs. Doesn’t allowing the student to focus only on one activity narrow the range of learning? A. The Learn Everywhere programs are
designed to incorporate all appropriate competencies that a student might be expected to attain in New Hampshire today. There are school districts that offer students credit for participation on high school athletic teams, for example, or maybe for a high school band program. The offering of these types of credits, however, is not consistent across the state. One high school may offer such opportunities to students whereas students in the neighboring town are not offered similar opportunities.
concerned are you about declining test scores of students generally in the New Hampshire Assessment Test or the National
Assessment of Educational Progress test, in Math, Science and Language Arts? A. Of course we are always concerned
with assessment results that give us a point-in-time snapshot of how our students are performing. The New Hampshire student performance on the 2019 NAEP assessment showed a small decline, which was disappointing. But at the same time, it was a smaller decline than the results broadly across America.
n Q. Four
years ago, you came very close to winning the Republican nomination for governor. Do you have any thoughts or plans about running for elective office again? A. My plans are to serve the students, families, communities and educators of New Hampshire during my term as commissioner and that is my sole focus. I often say I have the best commissioner job in state government.
n Q. How
GO TO NHBR.COM TO READ MORE OF THIS INTERVIEW
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FE B R UARY 28 - MARCH 12, 2020
FLOTSAM&JETSAM
The price of fame
Running on empty?
Add this to the Hubris File: NH political operative Mike Biundo’s RightVoter firm has signed up Lacy Johnson, a GOPer running for Congress in Minneapolis. LJ’s opponent? Dem Ilhan Omar, a member of theNASHUA right-wing nemesis REGION LAKES REGION Biundo: His “The Squad.” MB apparently has high idea of ‘fun’ hopes for LJ – even Facebooking that “this is gonna be fun,” running against IO. The problem is that MB may be setting himself up for a big disappointment, since Omar’s district is considered the most Democratic district, not just in Minn., but in the entire Upper Midwest. HOSPITALS, BANKING, PERSONAL FINANCE, ENERGY HITECTURE, ENGINEERING, luck FLOTSAM, with that.LAW, OPINIONS, THE LATEST, ABOUT TOWN ND JUMPS,Good IN BRIEF, STRUCTION, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM, NEWS, CHARITABLE GIVING, MORE ONLINE nother TOURISM choice, CALENDAR, LAST WORD
Talk about the revolving door. Turns out that Corey “The Legend” Lewandowski, the leading political pundit in Windham and Donald Trump’s campaign manager for half of the 2016 campaign, has really found inspiration in his former boss. And it involves making money any which way you can. No, it’s not selling services to lobby for foreign governments or their oil companies (like Venezuela’s Citgo) or payday lenders (Community Choice Financial) – which, of course, CL’s done since Trump’s election. This is even more creative. He offers his services through the app Cameo, which offers a stable of near and real celebrities to record personalized video messages, for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, bar mitzvahs. You get the drift. But CL, always eager to blaze new trails, actually recorded – for seventy bucks – a video to congratulate a little boy for acing his potty training. The problem is that the boy is imaginary, and CL was hired by a guy who apparently just wanted to get a video of CL saying “poopies.” And, of course, then post it to Reddit. And CL complied, as this transcript shows:
Lewandowski: Cleaning up
“Hey this message is for Mickey. Daddy, Papa Dickey, reached out to me. You must be a very special little boy. But I heard that you’re starting to use the big-boy toilet. So, congratulations, and you’re doing a great job with your poopies, congratulations. I know your mom is gonna be so happy for you, and I want to thank you in advance for being a Donald Trump supporter when you get older. All your best from your daddy, Papa Dickey.” No comment required.
Slippery slope
Yes, that’s the oneandonly GOP Rep. Al Baldasaro sporting a Trump face mask during the recent nonproductive last session of the NH House at the Whittemore Center. But wait a minute … isn’t wearing a mask a sign of weakness?
Making up history The wagons aren’t completely circled yet, but it’s becoming more apparent every day that top GOPers in Washington are getting nervouser and nervouser about Nov., and most of it is because of the guy at the top of the ticket. So Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reportedly shoring up support for Trump by essentially telling his GOP senators they’re running a big
There’s only one thing to say about this year’s session of the NH House, and the disastrous and embarrassing socially-distanced ending with the GOPers deep-sixing the entire shebang for the year. And that is you just knew by holding the session at the UNH Whittemore Center Arena they were treading on thin ice.
risk if they abandon the prez. According to a recent item in Vanity Fair, MM was heard to offer a recent history lesson to back up his point. According to VF, MM told the apocryphal story that NH GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte lost her re-elect bid in 2016 because she just couldn’t handle supporting Trump after release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, which … well you know what that was all about. Sure, KA lost in 2016. But she got more NH votes than DT did.
MAKING THE ROUNDS Quixotic Corky Messner’s gonna need more than a Trump endorsement if he thinks he can beat Jeanne Shaheen in Nov.
Of course the guv will have no problem winning the GOP nod this year, but it’s sure gonna be interesting to see how many votes his self-anointed primary opponent Karen Testerman gets as she slams his stay-at-home scenarios.
Ryan Terrell, the Nashua GOPer who was rejected by the Exec Council’s Dems for a seat on the state Board of Education, has new plans: running for a NH House seat. The problem is he’s running in what is the Dem district in the Gate City.
Speaking of the Exec Council Dems – they sure know how to get under the guv’s skin, don’t they?
No matter what side you’re on when it comes to college students and residency requirements, it sure seems kind of a waste when a Hanover Dem rep who’s also a Dartmouth student had to be forced to resign from the seat. Which does seem like the right thing to do, since he’s living in Thousand Oaks, Calif., right now, and Dartmouth officials still haven’t decided whether the campus will be open in the fall or not.
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VIRTUAL
BUSINESS SHOWCASE
Greater Concord’s biggest trade show of the year is going digital! Join us for a multi-day celebration of our region’s dynamic business climate.
TUESDAY, JULY 14 - THURSDAY, JULY 16 Virtual Business Showcase will continue the 29 year tradition of gathering our business community together in a friendly, local atmosphere that makes networking easy!
SPONSORED BY
Join in on the fun with virtual networking, unique exhibitor demonstrations and win exciting door prizes on an innovative online platform.
Learn more & register online at www.ConcordNHChamber.com (603) 224-2508 • events@concordnhchamber.com NHBR Ad - 2020 VIRTUAL Business Showcase.indd 1
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