It was one year ago, last week, that Councilors Catt Workman, Bryan Lake and I and about 60 other people showed up at City Council committee meeting to call for a better plan to address housing and homelessness in Keene. As a result of this advocacy, the Mayor was pushed to convene an ad-hoc committee to make recommendations on a path forward. 

The recommendations have been made and the work to implement them is ongoing. I've discussed this all a bit in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. 

Now here in Part 3 since its been a year, its worth taking stock of whats been accomplished. I've made a list:

• There is a new ordinance in the works that would reduce constraints on on Accessory Dwelling Units. This will expand the housing supply at the low end of the market.
• We're getting a slight improvement to the city's camping ordinance. We're not getting the campground that many wanted, but the city now will now have a little more flexibility to help people who are discovered camping on city property. Rather than summarily kicking people out, the parks director will be able to authorize campers to stay an extra night or two while they work with social services to arrange for better place to stay.
• Soon, people being released from protective custody in county jail will be able to get a ride to where they need to go, rather than being dropped off with no resources in the middle of Keene.
• State legislation has been proposed that would allow cities like Keene to recover more costs for sheltering the residents of other towns. It is hoped that this will provide financial incentive for those towns to find housing solutions for people locally, rather than sending people out of their communities and away from their existing support networks.
• A pilot program that located a porta-potty downtown lasted for about 12 weeks before the potty was vandalized by late-night drunks. However, there is still a desire on the Council to establish a more permanent (and vandal-proof) solution for public bathrooms - maybe as part of the ongoing downtown redesign.
• New signage directing people to the downtown bathrooms we do have (located on the second floor of City Hall, open 8 to 5) has been posted at Railroad Square.
• A safe parking program may be on its way, spearheaded by Southwest Community Services with the help of local churches. I haven't heard about this for a little while and I hope its still in the works. This would be a major win if it happens.

Taken as a whole, I think this list encompasses some good things that will help people, and I am proud of the work I've put in, with so many others, to help make them happen. But even these efforts are so limited and difficult - it lays bare the immense scale of what is yet to be done.

Onward.

fas·cism:

an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

Recently, the NH Senate passed SB 272. This bill REQUIRES those who are employed in the school systems to contact the parents of an LGBTQ student and inform them of their child’s preferred gender identity and use of preferred pronouns. In the event of an intolerable house hold, this could be a potentially dangerous situation for the child!

This bill will go on to the House for a vote after April 1. Meanwhile, a different bill is being voted on in the House today. HB 417 will now include “gender affirming care” as a form of child abuse. If passed, a child’s PARENTS can be charged with abuse if they attempt to get that specific kind of healthcare for their child. According to various mental health organizations, the American Medical Association and doctors throughout the country this should be the standard of care for young people who are transgender.

Why would anyone deliberately want to put a loving and supportive parent in the position of choosing jail or helping their child?

Please take a moment to contact your representatives in the House and Senate and let them know you oppose these bills because of the potential danger they would bring to LGBTQ children.

To find your ward and your Representative, follow the link:

The New Hampshire House of Representatives (state.nh.us)

To find your Senator, follow the link:

New Hampshire State Senate

HB 467-FN is a bill that requires new public playgrounds to have solid rubber or rubber-composite surfaces beneath each piece of play equipment. This is an important step toward making playgrounds accessible and will enable children who use wheelchairs to play alongside children who don’t.

Today the bill got its hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. Here is the testimony of one of the bill’s supporters:

Here in Keene, I served on the committee that consulted on the design for the new Pat Russel Park, which is now under construction. Taking inspiration from a playground near where I grew up, I made it my mission on that committee to advocate that the two playgrounds in the project be made not just accessible, but inclusive. On this I had mixed success.

We were able to get pea-gravel and wood chip surfaces replaced with rubber, which was a big win. I also asked that various features and games be installed at an appropriate height for wheelchair users, so that activities could be available to all children. 

I also asked that special consideration be given to children on the autism spectrum, by creating play areas where these kids can find shelter from excessive stimulation. The idea is to ensure that there are spots from which autistic kids may observe the commotion of the playground, without necessarily having to be immersed in it.

We were able to get these features into the design, and my hope is that most of them have survived subsequent rounds of budget squeeze. 

Funding is a significant limitation here – a state fund to provide grants for inclusive features in public playgrounds would go a long way. (SUBTLE HINT TO MY FRIENDS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE)

Another problem was that, by the time I was asking for these things, many choices with respect to the playground had already been made. For example, a vendor and style of playground had been chosen earlier in the process, which mean that when I asked for selection of a particular slide that had extra space designed for disabled kids to make use of, we were unable to get it because that was not an option offered by our vendor.

All of this is to pass on an important lesson that I learned from that process:  when designing playgrounds, inclusion and access needs to be part of the planning conversation from the beginning. 

On Thursday, the New Hampshire House passed HB 360, "an act legalizing cannabis for persons 21 years of age or older."

The bill had gone through the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, which had deemed it Inexpedient to Legislate by a margin of 11-9. However, as these things still get voted on by the full House, Rep. Jodi Newell (D-Keene) was designated to speak for the Committee's minority in favor of the bill.

Jodi's speech was a banger, you can watch it here:

Here is what she said:

As Jodi noted, this is one of several cannabis legalization bills that are currently under consideration by the legislature. This one had been considered unlikely to pass. However, the motion to shoot it down failed by a vote of 210 to 160, and then the bill resoundingly passed on a voice vote.

That suggests there is even more widespread support for cannabis legalization and drug policy reform than previously recognized. When is this going to finally get done?

In 1760, Dinah Chase was born into the family of a prosperous minister in New Castle, New Hampshire. Even though she was enslaved as a domestic, Rev. Stephen Chase saw to it that she was taught how to read. 

She moved to Portsmouth and was given her freedom in 1781, on her 21st birthday. She then married Prince Whipple, who had served in the Revolutionary War. At the time of their marriage, Prince was still the slave of William Whipple, an affluent ship’s captain and merchant, also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. In 1784 he was given his freedom. Prince died in 1796.

Dinah and her seven children remained on the Whipple land, which afforded them the opportunity to build a house with a lifetime lease on a plot of Whipple property. She was one of a handful of nonwhite members of the local Congregational Church lending library. She also ran, from her home, what is believed to be one of the first schools for Black children in NH. This was done under the patronage of the “Ladies Charitable African Society.” Portsmouth tax records show the school operated from 1806-1832. The site is now a part of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail.

Before her death in 1846, Dinah, who was a former slave, became a champion of education, a leader in her community and a positive influence for future generations.

The following is taken from the Dinah Whipple STEAM Academy:
“The Dinah Whipple STEAM Academy is an immersive educational program that explores science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM), as well as the Black experience. The program will take place on the UNH Durham campus this summer, providing students with access to state-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and award-winning faculty. It is offered through UNH Tech Camp, which has been providing dynamic, experiential summer programs for middle and high school students for more than a decade. All levels of experience are welcome.”

With all the talk lately about rewriting American history that some elected officials find disturbing and would like to cover up, I seriously hope our legislature here in NH embrace this history and learn from it.

Dinah Whipple STEAM Academy | College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (unh.edu)

On March 7, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended nationwide limits on the levels of PFAS, also called “synthetic chemicals”, in drinking water. If this new rule is approved, it would go a long way in preventing thousands of deaths and diseases caused by these poisons.

PFAS stands for “per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” they are synthetic chemicals and have been widely used for decades in items such as nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, certain cosmetics and some firefighting foams, per the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

PFAS break down over time but the process is slow. They can last a long time in the environment, most notably drinking water and have been discovered in the blood of humans and animals. According to the CDC,continuous exposure to these chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer, increased cholesterol levels and low infant birth weights. New scientific evidence points to even low amounts of PFAS as harmful. 

The EPA expects to conclude its recommendations by the end of this year, with water utilities beginning to follow it three years later. This would require the utilities to invest money in the new technology, but the newly passed “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” would provide $10 billion towards reducing drinking water contamination.

The recommended rule would not apply to those with private wells, however the EPA website provides information on testing for and the prevention of private well contamination.

I’m sure we all remember when the town of Merrimack was apprised of these synthetic chemicals in their drinking water. That was 7 years ago, and they are still dealing with this problem. So there are those in Merrimack who are happy with the EPA’s recent announcement of proposing the federal drinking water standard of 4 parts per trillion for contamination. That will go a long way towards positively ensuring people’s health. 

Governor Sununu has voiced his concerns, stating the EPA is raising the bar to high. "Maybe they look good on paper, but they're unreasonable. They're unattainable in many ways. There's a question not just of the science behind it but the hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars it would take to even try to attain the levels they're pushing."

Sigh.

Hasn’t the governor heard of the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”?

This March, city and town Democratic committees are having their organizational caucuses. Participating in a local Democratic Party organization is a great way to get your feet wet in politics.

You can find out about when your local caucus is scheduled by checking the events map on the New Hampshire Democratic Party website. The work these local party organizations do is vital to helping Team Blue win in a purple state.

Last night, the Keene City Democrats elected its new slate of officers, including some new faces and many who have been around since the caucus two years ago, when progressives organized to win all the offices and revive a moribund organization. In that time, several have gone on to win seats in the General Assembly.

The members of Keene City Democratic Committee for 2023-2024 are as follows:

• Chair: State Rep. Shaun Filiault (Cheshire-7)
• Vice Chair: State Rep. Amanda Elizabeth Toll (Cheshire-16)
• Treasurer: City Councilor Bobby Williams (Ward 2)
• Secretary: Samantha Jean-Jacobs
• Delegates at Large: 
  • Michele Chalice
  • Nancy McGartland
  • State Rep. Renée Monteil (Cheshire-16)
  • Marie Dugan
  • Sandra Van De Kauter
  • Kristen Petricola
  • Sue Hay
• Ward 1 Chair: State Rep. Nick Germana (Cheshire-1)
• Ward 2 Chair: Paul Ruscak
• Ward 3 Chair: Vern Thornblad
• Ward 4 Chair: State Rep. Jodi Newell (Cheshire-4)
• Ward 5 Chair: Stephanie Ritchie Logan

Tonight I attended Keene's "joint meeting", where the five members of the City' Council's Planning Licenses and Development (PLD) Committee meet in a workshop format with the members of the Planning Board. 

At issue was the proposal to reduce the minimum lot size in the rural part of Keene from five acres to two acres. There was a pretty good turnout, as these things go, both in favor of and opposed to the ordinance. 

The presentation by the city staff considered, among other things, the tax implications of what this change would mean. There is a concern that rezoning will lead to higher taxes in the rural area as properties become more valuable due to the possibility of being able to subdivide.

I'm of two minds about this. The first is that I recognize that paying taxes sucks and in some cases can create a hardship that leads to negative consequences. On the other hand, by having properties artificially undervalued as a result of zoning restrictions, it sure seems to me like rural property owners in Keene are getting a sweet little tax subsidy, which has to be made up by those who live closer to the urban center. Like me, for example. 

But it seems the problem is actually quite limited in scope. Most of the parcels in the area will not be affected by valuation changes - either because the lots are too small to further subdivide or because they are already set up with another sweet tax subsidy are big enough to be in current use. It ends up that significantly less than 200 parcels would be affected by valuation increases, out of about 10,000 total parcels in the city.

A typical parcel that would be affected might go up in value from $65K to $85K, resulting in an additional tax bill of about $620 a year. Which is unfortunate for the property owner to have to pay that but is also a $20,000 windfall when they eventually cash out.

Several members of the Monadnock Interfaith Project were there to speak in favor of the ordinance, in light of our area's dire need for more housing opportunities. MIP will always come out when issues of housing are up for discussion.

Those speaking against the ordinance were rural property owners not wishing to have new development in their bucolic neighborhoods. These places are indeed lovely, and I can't blame anybody for not wanting them to change.

For my own part, I remain conflicted over the conservation implications of all this. You simply can't expand human activity into natural areas without doing serious damage to the ecosystems that exist out there. Moreover, building car-dependent, single-family homes way outside of town isn't exactly a development pattern for green living.

It's the Planning Board's job to consider whether the proposed ordinance is consistent with our city's Master Plan, and the members present all voted that it was. Pamela Russell Slack, attending her last joint meeting before stepping down as Chair of the Planning Board, noted that the Master Plan was starting to show its age and needs to be updated soon.

It was then voted to move the ordinance on to the next step, which will be a public hearing, followed by further consideration by the PLD Committee prior to being sent to the full Council for approval. There will be further opportunity for public comment at both the public hearing and the PLD Committee meeting.

Book banning is becoming more and more common lately with issues such as race and LGBTQ frequently targeted. Everything from novels about anti-slavery, different religions to modern books have been removed from school libraries. For example, about a year and a half ago, in Pennsylvania’s Central York School District, books such as I am Rosa Parks by Brad Metzer were removed along with other so-called “racially conscious materials.” 

The following are a small example of some of the books no longer allowed to be available in Central York school district:

• How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Fry Bread: A Native American Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
• I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer
• Our Favorite African Adrinkra Symbols: A Coloring Book by Abena Walker
• Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai

Think this can’t happen here in New Hampshire? Think again. On Thursday, March 16, the House will meet in a full session to confer about several topics. Amongst them is the “Book Ban Bill” HB 514. This bill has no recommendation from the Education Committee and its sole purpose is to allow SOME parents ban the books that THEY find inappropriate for EVERYBODY else’s children in their local school district. While every parent has the right to decide what book their OWN child may be exposed to, they do NOT have the right to decide for someone else’s child. HB 514 will also increase the Commissioner of Education’s power to ban books and other materials.

Please take a few moments to contact your state representative before Thursday and urge them to vote against HB 514. You can find your representative at this link Contact Your Representative.

Thursday night I had the fortune to be invited by Rep. Amanda Toll to the New Hampshire Young Democrats' "Granite Slate Awards," at which she accepted an award for "Progressive of the Year."

That's like an Emmy, if the Emmies were for New Hampshire Democrats that Get Things Done.

Of course I didn't think to take a decent camera to this event, or to sit in a spot with a less oblique angle and better lighting. Which is to say that I apologize for the quality of these photographs. 

But I would like for the readers of this blog to get to know more about the badass, state-level Dems we have working on our behalf in Concord, so I will post them anyway.

First up is a blurry photo of Senator Becky Whitley at the mic, that also features the backs of the heads of Cheshire County Democratic Chair Mohammad Saleh and lone Democratic Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington. 

Becky Whitley represents Concord, Penacook, Hopkinton, and Bow. As her website says "her entire career has been committed to social justice and public service, as a disability rights lawyer, climate activist and organizer, child health policy specialist and advocate..." She also a mom although, oddly enough, not to either of the children clinging to her in the photo. 

Those children in fact belong to Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, who represents a chunk of the Seacoast. and who was there to receive the "Progressive Legislator of the Year Award." 

That's her in the orange. Among other accomplishments, this year Rebecca co-founded the Bipartisan Housing Caucus which, OMG, if only that had existed years ago, maybe the rent wouldn't be too damn high.

Next there were Pradhiti Modadugu, Hunter Porter, Samay Sahu and of the New Hampshire High School Dems, accepting an award on behalf of that organization. This party, we have a great future.

The venerable Senator Cindy Rosenwald, who represents Nashua, was up after that, accepting the "Martha and Jeff Clark Honorary Young Democrat Award" from NHYD President Manny Espita, who credited her with getting him to run for office. Cindy has been in the legislature since 2004, and doing good things in the Senate since 2018.

The first of two "Progressive of the Year Awards" went to Jason Bonilla, who was appointed to the Manchester School Board representing Ward 5 a couple years ago and is running for re-election right now. Jason is the son of Salvadoran immigrants who walked to this country so he could run.

Next up, what can I begin to say about Representative Amanda Toll? I know her as the Vice-Chair of the Keene City Democrats (I'm the Treasurer), but it seems that the rest the world has now caught on to her talent as an organizer. In addition to helping to realize a string of progressive wins for House seats in Cheshire County last year, she was recently elected Co-chair of the NH House Progressive Caucus.

I spent a lot of time with Amanda on the campaign trail last year, and she was pregnant at the time. Since then she has given birth to an actual human being. Its amazing, what she does, and this "Progressive of the Year" award is richly deserved.

Here is a picture of the people with the two toughest jobs in Concord -- Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy presenting the "C. Arthur Soucy Award for Achievement" to House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm. 

C. Arthur Soucy, was the founding president of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, as Donna, his daughter, told it, from back in the days of John F. Kennedy.

The final award, the "Young Democrat of the Year", went to Rachel Cole, who has been Legislative Policy Assistant to the NH House Democratic Leader for almost five years now. It sounds like she's been doing dynamite work, and its nice to see recognition that an effective Democratic party requires not only elected leaders, but also a solid core of professional staff working behind the scenes to support them.

In conclusion, we have some great Democrats in New Hampshire who give us good reason to have pride in Team Blue.