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Concord – U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray of New Hampshire today announced that more than $65 million in Department of Justice grants is available to help communities combat human trafficking and serve adults and children who are victimized in trafficking operations.
“The crimes of sex trafficking and labor trafficking victimize some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, including minors and the economically disadvantaged,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Human trafficking is modern day slavery and it cannot be tolerated in a free society. Here in New Hampshire, the Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force and other efforts have been vital in obtaining justice for victims of human trafficking. These new grant opportunities will provide additional financial support that will allow communities to expand their efforts to combat human trafficking, protect victims, and educate the public about the impact of this crime.”
“Our nation is facing difficult challenges, none more pressing than the scourge of human trafficking. Human traffickers pose a dire threat to public safety and countering this threat remains one of the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight against this insidious crime. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs that support human trafficking task forces and services for human trafficking survivors.
A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17351
Total Available $1.8 million Deadline 4/6/2020 (Extended)
Multidisciplinary Task Force Program to Combat Human Trafficking
Total Available $22 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Preventing Trafficking of Girls
Total Available $1.7 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17324
Total Available $2.5 million Deadline 4/20/2020
Services for Victims of Human Trafficking
Total Available $16.5 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking
Total Available $2 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Program
Total Available $5 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking
Total Available $6 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking
Total Available $8 million Opens week of 3/16/2020
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
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Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Bureau of Family Assistance today announced that in order to protect the health and safety of its customers and staff, all District Office (DO) buildings will be closed for client-facing activities until further notice.
People in need of assistance may apply for benefits online at www.nheasy.nh.gov and will be scheduled for a phone interview in order to complete their benefits application.
The decision to close DOs was not made lightly. During this unprecedented pandemic, we are doing our part to protect our communities by avoiding unnecessary face-to-face interactions. DHHS is working to ensure our clients continue to get the services they need while limiting potential disruptions.
District Office staff will continue to provide service to residents. We appreciate the extra effort this will require from our clients, staff, and community partners, but it is important that we take measures to help prevent the spread of illness. People with no internet access who are applying for assistance through the Bureau of Family Assistance should call 1-844-275-3447.
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DURHAM, N.H.— The tumbling financial market has some Americans on edge, adding to the already stressful situation surrounding the coronavirus, health concerns, business closings, and social distancing. Stephen Ciccone, associate professor of finance at the University of New Hampshire can comment on what this could mean for portfolios and 401K’s and why it’s important for people to remain calm.
“I am a big proponent of buy-and-hold strategies,” says Ciccone. “While stocks are down right now, when the market starts to recover, it can increase very rapidly in a short period of time. Even though many may want to pull their money out, individual investors fleeing stocks now could potentially miss out on high recovery returns later.”
Ciccone, whose research has looked at investing during major depressions, recessions, and crashes, says history shows that over extended periods of time, the stock market is consistently up and until recent events around the coronavirus, it’s been considered a bull market since the 2008 financial crisis. He said young investors should be able to weather the current market fluctuations. Those closer to retirement should be more invested in lower-risk securities, such as bonds, so their losses would not be as dramatic. But overall, he recommends a dollar-cost averaging investing strategy.
“The coronavirus presents a unique situation with much uncertainty,” says Ciccone. “I expect a lot of volatility over the next few weeks, or even months, as new information is processed by markets. The best strategy during volatile times is to invest the same amount at regular intervals. For example, $500 every month. I do expect that stocks will recover in a significant way within the next couple of years.”
Ciccone can be reached at 727-267-9153 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ciccone is the chair of the department of accounting and finance and an associate professor of finance at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. He is also a certified public accountant and among his research interests are stock return properties, analyst forecasts, and behavioral finance.
The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health, and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.
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Due to concern for the health and safety of its customers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles will transition to phone and online services starting Thursday and limited appointment only services starting Monday to allow for proper social distancing as defined by the Center for Disease Control.
Walk-in operations at all locations will pause Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20, to allow staff to train and prepare facilities for appointment-based operations. Online, phone, and mail services will not be interrupted.
Starting Monday, March 23, limited walk-in services will be available by appointment only and consolidated to five locations:
Concord,
Dover,
Manchester,
Newport, and
Twin Mountain.
Starting Friday, customers can call (603) 227-4000 to schedule an appointment. Customers should take advantage of the DMV’s online services, including online driver license renewal, ID renewals, and online ticket pay at www.nh.gov/dmv.
All driver license road exams are canceled until Friday, April 3, 2020.
NH DMV 20-day plates as well as NH authorized dealer 20-day plates, issued on or after February 26, 2020 have been given an automatic extension through April 30, 2020. These extensions do not apply to vehicle registration renewals. Please visit your town website for vehicle registration renewal options.
NH DMV non-commercial driver licenses and non-driver identification cards that are expired or set to expire between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020 are eligible for a 6-month extension. Customers should take advantage of this option by calling (603) 227-4020. An applicable renewal fee will be due at the time of the call. To learn more about 6-month license extensions, please go to www.nh.gov/dmv.
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Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 18, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19. DHHS will continue to issue COVID-19 updates each day to provide media and the public with current information about the State’s efforts.
What’s New
· New Positive Cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire
On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, DHHS announced 13 new positive test results for COVID-19. The new cases are all in adults, including six males and seven females. Persons are from the counties of Hillsborough (4), Rockingham (3), Carroll (3), Belknap (2), and Merrimack (1); the four individuals from Hillsborough County all reside in Manchester. New individuals from Carroll and Merrimack counties have no identified risk factors, indicating additional areas in New Hampshire experiencing community-based transmission of COVID-19. Community-based transmission has been identified in the following counties: Rockingham, Grafton, Merrimack, and Carroll. There have been 39 total cases of COVID-19 identified in New Hampshire. Two patients are hospitalized and they are in stable condition; the remaining people are isolating at home.
· Governor Sununu Issues Three Emergency Orders to Provide Relief
On March 18, Governor Sununu issued Emergency Orders 6, 7, and 8, as part of the state's efforts to respond to COVID-19.
Emergency Order #6: Temporary authorization for take-out or delivery beer or wine. All restaurants, diners, bars, saloons, private clubs or any other establishment that have both a restaurant license and on premise license from the New Hampshire liquor commission shall be temporarily authorized to allow for takeout or delivery of beer or wine.
Emergency Order #7: Temporary modification of data and privacy governance plans.
Emergency Order #8: Temporary expansion of access to Telehealth Services to protect the public and health care providers.
New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(updated March 18, 2020, 9:00 AM)
|
NH Persons with COVID-191 |
39 |
|
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL2 |
231 |
|
Total Persons Tested at NH PHL3 |
891 |
|
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) |
550 |
1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL). Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.
3Includes specimens sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.
Previous Updates
· New Positive Cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire
· Governor Sununu Issues Three Emergency Orders To Provide Relief
NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive
For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at www.nh.gov/covid19.
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BEDFORD, NH – Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains congratulates state Rep. Cassandra Levesque on being named one of WZID’s 20 Outstanding Women for 2020. The radio station honor is awarded to those who go above and beyond to make their communities a better place to live.
Levesque, 20, of Barrington, who is also a Gold Award Girl Scout, was nominated by the Girl Scout council serving New Hampshire and Vermont for her tireless work on behalf of New Hampshire’s young women and the mentorship of our youngest citizens.
“Juliette Gordon Low once said ‘Girl Scouting is not just knowing, but doing...not doing, but being,’” said Levesque. “I have long ago taken those words to heart, and they guide me in my daily journey. Girl Scouts helped me decide who I was, how I saw the world and gave me the confidence and courage to step into the roles that I have taken on recently. We never know where the path of our lives will take us, but I am sure that I will always have my Girl Scout sisters by my side no matter where I go or what I do, and for that support, that acceptance, I am so very grateful. I am very honored and humbled to be chosen as a 2020 Outstanding Woman by WZID.”
She earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor, the Girl Scout Gold Award, in 2017 for her work to raise the minimum age for marriage in New Hampshire. She wanted to raise the age from 13 for girls and 14 for boys, to 18 but compromised to get legislation passed in 2018 to raise the age to 16 for both. Her Gold Award project, “Let a Child be a Child,” is founded on her belief that child marriage is a human rights violation.
When that legislation was signed into law, Levesque was about to enter college and was offered full four-year tuition at Southern New Hampshire University in recognition of her leadership. She now studies political science there through their online programs.
Because of that experience, Levesque was inspired to run for office, becoming one of the state’s youngest representatives, advocating for her community of Barrington and the people of New Hampshire. She is continuing her fight in the New Hampshire Legislature to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18.
She also mentors some of the youngest members of her community as a Girl Scout Brownie troop leader.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains offers girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont the opportunity to change the world for the better, as Cassandra Levesque has, through Girl Scouting - the world’s largest leadership development program for girls.
Levesque’s profile and on-air interview can be found at https://wzid.com/outstanding-women/cassandra-levesque/
About Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains: Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is recognized throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as a leading expert on girls. Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that helps girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. Through our exciting and challenging programs, Girl Scouts not only participate but also take the lead in a range of activities—from kayaking, archery, and camping, to coding, robotics, financial literacy training, and beyond! Serving more than 10,000 girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org.
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Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 17, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19. DHHS will continue to issue COVID-19 updates each day to provide media and the public with current information about the State’s efforts.
What’s New
· New Positive Cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire
On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, DHHS announced nine new positive test results for COVID-19. The new cases are all in adults, including five males and four females. Persons are from the counties of Rockingham (4), Hillsborough (3), and Grafton (2). Several individuals from Rockingham and Grafton counties have no identified risk factors, indicating that New Hampshire is experiencing community-based transmission of COVID-19. In total, 26 cases of COVID-19 have now been identified. All patients are isolating at home and have not required hospitalization.
· Governor Sununu Issues Three Emergency Orders To Provide Relief
Governor Chris Sununu issued Emergency Orders 3, 4, 5 on March 17 to provide relief for Granite Staters affected by COVID-19.
Emergency Order #3: All providers of electric, gas, water, telephone, cable, VOIP, internet service, and deliverable fuel services will be prohibited from disconnecting or discontinuing service for non-payments for the duration of the State of Emergency.
Emergency Order #4: Landlords will not be allowed to start eviction proceedings for those unable to pay due to their financial situations. To do so would be against the law. All judicial and non-judicial foreclosure actions will also be prohibited during the state of emergency.
Emergency Order #5: Individuals who are unable to work or who have reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have immediate access to unemployment benefits. Anyone in the following situations will now be eligible for state unemployment: If your employer temporarily closes due to COVID-19; Individuals that need to self-quarantine or are directed to quarantine at the instruction of a health care provider, employer or government official; Individuals that need to care for a family member that has COVID-19 or is under quarantine; Individuals that need to care for a dependent because of school closures, child care facility closures or other similar types of care programs; Self-employed individuals that are temporarily unable to operate their business because of any of the above listed situations will also be eligible. Please visit www.nhes.nh.gov or call 603-271-7770 for more information.
New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(updated March 17, 2020, 9:00 AM)
|
NH Persons with COVID-191 |
26 |
|
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL2 |
208 |
|
Total Persons Tested at NH PHL3 |
742 |
|
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) |
475 |
1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL).
3Includes specimens sent to CDC prior t NH PHL testing capacity.
Previous Updates
· NH DHHS Announces Four New Presumptive Positive Test Results for COVID-19
· Public Health Laboratories COVID-19 testing update
· DHHS guidance to medical providers to coordinate testing with commercial laboratories
NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive
For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at www.nh.gov/covid19.
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Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has announced nine new positive test results for COVID-19, the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus. The new confirmed cases of COVID-19 are all in adults, including five males and four females. Persons are from the counties of Rockingham (4), Hillsborough (3), and Grafton (2). Several individuals from Rockingham and Grafton counties have no identified risk factors indicating that New Hampshire is experiencing community-based transmission of COVID-19. In total, 26 cases of COVID-19 have now been identified. All patients are isolating at home and have not required hospitalization.
“The increasing number of cases and new evidence of community-based transmission raises concern that the COVID-19 outbreak is intensifying in New Hampshire,” said State Epidemiologist, Dr. Benjamin Chan. “The State has put into place measures to help prevent larger scale transmission at schools and larger gatherings; however, it is critical for everybody to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 and practice social distancing. We know that this novel coronavirus can be spread very easily through close contact, and the virus can be spread even when people are only having very mild early symptoms of illness.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 most often include fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough. However, early mild symptoms can include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and chills. Fever may not develop until several days into illness, or not at all, but people can still transmit the novel coronavirus. People that are concerned about COVID-19 should discuss their symptoms and any risk factors by phone with their healthcare provider before presenting for testing.
We recommend that testing be performed in individuals with more serious illness (e.g. hospitalized patients), healthcare providers, and individuals who have contact to more vulnerable persons or large groups of people. But as COVID-19 becomes more common in our communities, confirming infection for every patient presenting with fever and respiratory symptoms becomes impractical and does not change how a person’s illness is managed. Further, presenting for testing potentially exposes the public, healthcare workers, and vulnerable persons to COVID-19. For most people with this infection, symptoms will be mild and easily managed at home, as you would for flu. Anyone who develops symptoms should stay home and self-isolate. Additionally, we must preserve our limited personal protective equipment and specimen collection supplies for our healthcare system to be able to care for the minority of patients who develop severe COVID-19 illness over the coming months.
Given the increasing spread of COVID-19 worldwide and in the United States, all people should take the following precautions to protect themselves and help prevent further community spread:
· Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e. social distancing)
· Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing=
· Wash hands frequently
· Avoid being within 6 feet (close contact) of a person who is sick
· Avoid sharing drinks, smoking/vaping devices, or other utensils or objects that may transmit saliva
· Disinfect frequently touched surfaces
For more information on COVID-19 in NH, please visit www.nh.gov/covid19. For the latest information from the CDC, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/.
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In an interview lasting over one hour via telephone, New Hampshire State Representative Matt Towne said, “When we leave this Earth, we leave footprints behind. We should ensure that the footprints we leave are leaving a better world behind.” He cited a hand-written letter that he recently received from a Freshman at Coe-Brown Academy that addressed global warming and said how important it is to listen to the younger generations that will still be here after we are gone.
He also cited JFK’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” and said that he could not have said it any better.
According to Rep. Towne, there are a lot of people that don’t trust him, not because of who he is, but because he represents the government. If you’re one of the many people that doesn’t agree with his progressive views, we wanted to point out that he is working very hard to be fair to both sides of the aisle, while still representing his constituents in Barrington, NH.
On January 13th, 2020, Rep. Towne came to the event hosted by Barrington Town News for the New Hampshire Private Road Taxpayers Alliance (NHPVRTA), and with him, he brought a warrant article petition that was for the Town Election on March 11th, 2020, which dealt with changing the rules for redistricting in New Hampshire, by requesting that the legislature appoint an independent commission made up of nine Democrats and nine Republicans, that would be headed by a third-party consultant who is party-neutral.
He brought this petition at a time when his own party is in control of the House and Senate at the State House. After the 2020 Census is completed, the Democrats, if re-elected, would have been in charge of redistricting the State, and they could have gerrymandered, just as the Republicans have done in the past, to prevent the votes of the other party from meaning anything in upcoming elections for the next ten years. This would have surely guaranteed Democrats would hold control over the State House for up to the next 10 years. However Rep. Towne, by supporting this proposed change and bringing it to the town, saw an opportunity to make the system fair for both political parties, and 57 other towns also had warrant articles that were similar.
The Barrington residents that were at the NHPVRTA meeting asked for Rep. Towne’s help and Rep. Towne made a promise to represent the private roads issue in Concord. Not only did Barrington vote overwhelmingly for Towne’s petition, which has now been sent to the Governor’s office, but he also voted in favor of HB 1490, which is a new bill that was spearheaded by NHPVRTA to have the State of New Hampshire study the discrepancies between different towns and cities on the issue of private roads. This was the first positive step to address the ‘taxation without representation’ issue relating to Private Roads.
Rep. Towne mentioned that when he was canvassing for the Barrington Library Foundation before election day, he noticed several private roads that are falling apart along the route he took to knock on doors to leave information about the campaign for the new library. He said, unfortunately, the Town won’t provide funds to repair Private Roads, and according to NHPVRTA, the Town also taxes most homes on Private Roads without a discount, despite the fact that these homeowners have to pay for their own snow plowing and road maintenance – services that are provided to residents who live on Public Roads.
According to data from NHPVRTA, approximately 36% of all buildings in Barrington are on Private Roads, and by “buildings”, we are also including all of the buildings that contain businesses – most of which are on Public Roads such as NH-125, NH-9, and US-4.
Back on the issue of redistricting, Rep. Towne explained that every 10 years, the U.S. Census is done, and afterward, each state is required to redistrict due to population changes. Whatever party that is in power gets to decide what the districts look like.
Rep. Towne said, “It should be fair, to begin with,” and added “Someone put their thumb on the scale,” referring to the Republicans. Giving the entire process to an independent commission would solve the problem of the party in power favoring itself when redistricting the state, but this very concept was pushed forward last year, and Governor Sununu vetoed the bill.
Rep. Towne also voted in favor of a bill that would allow anyone to request an absentee ballot for any reason, as currently anyone who requests one is required to provide a valid reason for needing one. He said it’s forced people to lie about the reason that they need the absentee ballot. This bill passed the House, will likely pass the Senate, however, Governor Sununu didn’t sign a similar bill last year.
Rep. Towne explained that there has been a lot of obstruction by the Republicans in office, such as during a recent House session where nine House Republicans were reprimanded by the Speaker of the House for not taking a sexual harassment training course that was mandatory for all House members. The course was offered at about a dozen different dates and times, so there was no legitimate excuse for them not taking the course.
The Republicans in the House were using tactics to slow down voting on all the bills just the other night, which caused a House session to go until 4 AM in the morning. The Republicans are currently the minority party in the House, and they were trying to kill over one hundred bills by ensuring that they wouldn’t be voted on by the deadline for all bills to be voted on because most of the bills were written and sponsored by the Democrats. At 1:30 AM, a Republican House member tried to adjourn the House through a motion, and it was denied.
The nine Republicans that were reprimanded offered to suspend the rules if their reprimands were removed, but the Speaker of the House held firm and didn’t allow it. It got so late that the Democrats tabled some of the bills – one of which would have DE-authorized a Constitutional Convention. Democrats feared that Republicans would try to strip out Amendments and other parts of the U.S. Constitution if that were allowed, not to mention try to add language to it.
Rep. Towne is hopeful that Governor Sununu may not veto as many bills as he has in the past, due to it being an election year, but he said it’s tough to tell exactly what he’ll do. He cited that 37 communities were not able to install solar projects because the Solar Cap hasn’t been updated. At the Strafford County Complex, it would have saved them $380,000 a year, not to mention the benefits to the environment.
Democrats are hopeful it will be a productive year. There was a bill from Dover that would require that if rent is going to increase by 5%, that tenants be provided 3 months of advanced notice, or if rent is going to increase by 10%, that tenants be provided 6 months of advanced notice. There was also a bill that raised the minimum age to marry up to 18 years, which was spearheaded by Rep. Levesque, also from Barrington. However, several gun control bills are unlikely to be signed into law by Governor Sununu.
Of the gun legislation in this House session, there was HB 1608, which was a bill to limit the magazine size to 10 bullets. A bill to prohibit guns at schools passed, in addition to HB 1374 that would allow Police Departments to destroy firearms that are surrendered to them, rather than the current requirement that they sell them or store them indefinitely. There was a bill to study Police Officer Involved Shootings, and there was a bill to require that a trigger lock be sold with any private sales of firearms. A trigger lock is currently required for any commercial sale of a firearm.
Rep. Matt Towne was asked how the Barrington Library Foundation should move forward, and he didn’t have any ideas for how to move forward from here. He thinks the warrant article failed because of poor voter turnout. The Library Foundation tried to educate people about the benefits of the Library, and motivate them to get to the polls, but it didn’t work. He says that people turned the Library project into an issue about raising taxes, and he said it’s difficult to get people to see the benefits if they have equated it to not willing to vote for it because they can’t afford to pay more in taxes.
In my own personal opinion, it is unfortunate for Barrington residents that taxes will likely eventually increase again, even if not because of the Library, which may make future prospects of the Library even less likely if more of the gap in funds isn’t fundraised from local businesses and from government grants.
On another note, Rep. Towne said that he voted in favor of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation petition. There was also a mention about a bill in the House to study how the State of New Hampshire can make NH citizens more budget-wise, by sticking to a budget. They’re also trying to pass a bill to spend more on road & bridge repairs.
Rep. Towne also believes that there should be early learning, pre-K, and childcare for all families provided by the government. He said, “The money should come from everywhere,” adding that it ought to be local initiatives, funded from taxes from high-tech companies like Microsoft that should come back through the state governments. He also cited that 33 kids are currently receiving care from 68 Hours of Hunger in Barrington – the poorest families in town can’t even afford to feed their children over the weekend, and this is becoming an even bigger issue due to school closures. The kids that get meals from 68 Hours of Hunger will need even more donations because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rep. Towne was asked what New Hampshire was doing about Coronavirus, and whether it would be enough to prevent its spread throughout the Granite State. He said that Governor Sununu has declared a state of emergency, and the Education Department is working with schools to provide online classes for students. He said there will be drive-up testing stations soon, however, he said, “The Governor is behind the curve [on Coronavirus]”.
Rep. Towne expressed concern that even if someone feels great, they may be infected, and that the virus disproportionately affects Seniors, like himself. Rep. Towne isn’t infected, but when asked if elected leaders should share whether they are infected, he said everyone should disclose whether they are sick or not – not just politicians. He thought out loud for a moment, “Can we mandate it? Probably not because of HIPPA rules.”
When asked about Food Service workers and sick leave, he said currently they’re on their own, but he doesn’t agree with this. He thinks that the U.S. Congress should mandate 14-days of paid sick leave for all employees, and gig workers, and even people that work part-time at 2-3 different jobs to make ends meet. Rep. Towne said, “Hotel workers, lawn care workers; the time they take off is on their own dime,” and added “Would if they all close? What do they do if their daycare closes?”
Rep. Towne said that according to Harvard Medical School, a projected worst-case scenario is that there could be 2 Million deaths in America. He said it’s already evident that Coronavirus is affecting the Democratic Primary. He said President Trump is going to pay in votes to the Democratic Nominee because he disbanded the team that was meant to deal with this type of crisis.
Rep. Towne said if he was the President, he would not have disbanded the team that was meant to deal with a pandemic. He said he would have started testing much sooner, and he would have had more tests available at a local level. He also said he would have banned flights out of Italy and Europe much sooner, in addition to other hotspots like Egypt, and even South America.
Rep. Towne said that New Hampshire is starting to go down the path of screening much more, but that Governor Sununu’s hands are tied because of the lack of tests. He said, “It’s not entirely on his doorstep,” giving the Governor credit for what he has done so far. He said it’s the Federal Government that is behind – too little, too late.
On the topic of spending by the Federal Government, Matt Towne said they are spending too much on the military, and not providing enough funding to the State Department. He said if the State Department isn’t fully funded, the military needs more money. He explained how we’re not spending money on diplomatic efforts, like providing clean drinking water to 3rd world countries. He also said that the military has classified the biggest threat to peace is global warming.
Regarding the Democratic Primary, Rep. Towne admitted that he voted for Elizabeth Warren, and is now supporting Bernie Sanders. He thinks Biden may not get all the votes from Warren or Bernie because he’s more appealing to moderates and independents. He said he’d like to see Bernie Sanders become President, with either Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar as Vice President. But he also said he’ll support whoever the Democratic nominee is and that he thinks either Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden will be able to defeat Donald Trump in the General Election. He also added that Wall Street doesn’t reflect the average citizen in society since many do not have stocks. Most folks are trying to make ends meet in this gig economy and Wall Street does not reflect on their challenges.
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The Barrington School Foundation (BSF) was founded in 2000, to supplement what the schools and parents can provide to the children of Barrington. Last year, the Foundation has moved from the leadership of some of its founding members (including Mike and Janet Clark and Pam Lenzi) to a new Board of Directors. The new board is comprised of the following:
Cara Metell – Chairperson
Elaine Marhefka – Secretary
Jeanine Roberts – Vice-Chair
Libby Allen – Treasurer
With the same vision, and following 20 years of success, the Board is eager to create more projects to support children in Barrington. They are continuing to run and improve current projects:
Jumpstart to Literacy – This book gifting program began in 2004 and originally was all managed by the Barrington School Foundation – from selecting, purchasing and distributing books for children from birth to age 5. In 2010, BSF partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Enrolled Barrington children (from birth to age 5) are sent an age-appropriate book monthly for their personal library – free of charge to the family. The Barrington School Foundation manages the enrollment for the town and offsets the shipping charges. This collaboration allows them to maximize the funding for new books to the greatest extent. Registration from the program can occur here.
Excellence in Education Award - The Foundation also continues to offer this annual award, honoring a teacher within the Barrington School District. The teacher is presented with a plaque, community honor ceremony, and a check to thank them for their service.
Annual PJ Party – In 2005, the Annual PJ Party was added to the literacy program. This great event, usually held in October, provides children with a new book, fun, games, activities related to the book and a chance to party in their PJs.
End 68 Hours of Hunger Collaboration - The Foundation worked with the local chapter End 68 Hours of Hunger to provide summer essentials bags to Barrington children who rely on the End 68 Hours of Hunger program. The plan is to increase engagement with area businesses this year to sponsor items for the bags and bring awareness of End68 in our town.
Every great non-profit seeks to fill the gap in the community with their projects and investments in the local area. The Barrington School Foundation strives to do this as well. As such, they are on the lookout for new members with new skills like Administration, Microsoft Office, Photography, Grant Writing, Social Media expertise, and Project Management. The Ideal Volunteer would meet the following criteria:
Cares about children
Has Some Free Time
Can Be Involved
Creative
Great Communicator
To find out more, donate or volunteer, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Like their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barringtonschoolfoundation. Visit their website at www.barringtonschoolfoundation.org.
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