I wanted to segue into Women’s History Month writing one more article honoring both Black and Women. I think I found it. . .

The first African-American to publish a novel was Harriet Wilson, born March 15, 1825, in Milford, New Hampshire. Abandoned by her parents at the age of six, Harriet became an indentured servant until she turned eighteen. She then became a seamstress and house servant for various households in southern NH. 

On Oct. 6, 1851 she married Thomas Wilson in Milford, who left her shortly after they were wed. In 1852, she moved to the Hillsborough County Poor Farm in Goffstown, where her only child, George, was born. George died at the age of seven in early 1860.

Soon after her son’s death, Harriet moved to Boston where she wrote the novel Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black. In Sept., 1859, her novel was anonymously published by a Boston publishing company, “George C. Rand & Avery”. It was not until 1982, when the renowned author and literary critic Henry Louis Gates Jr., came across her novel and had it documented as the first novel published in America by an African American. 

Harriet Wilson died on June 28, 1900, in Quincy, Massachusetts. To learn more about her life, click here.

Rosary Broxay Cooper was born in Florida in 1913. She graduated from an all-Black Florida school as a certified pediatric nurse. She was hired by a family to care for their children and accompanied them to their resort in Maine. This family owned resort was about 15 minutes from Portsmouth, NH, where in 1938, she met her future husband. Rosary and Owen Cooper married and moved to Portsmouth. 

Besides being a children’s nurse, Rosary got a job at the Portsmouth Naval Academy during World War II as a file clerk. With her husband away serving in the Army, Rosary trained for and eventually became a twenty-ton crane operator. 

After the end of the war, the couple purchased a sixteen-room house in a section of Portsmouth which is now part of the Strawbery Banke Museum. There they rented out rooms to Black boarders. In the meantime, Rosary attended a beauty school in Boston, thereby earning herself a certification and opening a beauty shop in her home in 1949. She had become the first Black, licensed beautician in the Portsmouth community. 

Rosary also found the time to fundraise for the state Soldier’s Home and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Tilton. She was a member and president of the Ladies Auxiliary of Portsmouth’s Veterans of Foreign Wars. She went on to become the state chairwoman of the VFW’s Ladies Auxiliary. 

Rosary Cooper was 84 when she died on Jan. 3, 1997.

Melanie Ann Levesque was born outside of Boston on May 20, 1957. After she moved here to NH, she became the first African American to serve in the NH Senate from 2018-2020. Before that, she served from 2006-2010 and then 2012-2014 in the NH House of Representatives. Melanie currently resides with her husband in Brookline.

In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, one of many Biden Administration accomplishments, was passed and signed into law. Since then, New Hampshire has reaped a lot of the benefits such as the "Solar for all" grant program, NH’s infrastructure, and the "RAISE Grant Program". Looks like there’s more headed our way!

On Tuesday, Feb. 20th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $55.7 million for upgrading the state’s drinking, storm and wastewater infrastructure systems. These upgrades will promote further the infrastructure that will protect the public’s health and the many bodies of water throughout the state. Nearly half of the money will be made available in the form of grants or as principle forgiveness loans, focusing on those cities and towns who are most in need of water infrastructure investment.

Since 2022, more than $209 million has made its way into NH through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. Among the benefits seen so far:

• $2.16 million to Plymouth Village Water & Sewer District for the Holderness Well Treatment Project.
• Over $1 million to the Town of Lisbon for treatment and distribution improvements.
• $765,000 to the Town of Troy for upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities.

The EPA expects to announce the additional distribution of billions of dollars for the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement” fund later this spring. Looking forward to learning what NH will receive!

“Without regard to whether some place is wealthy or poor, everybody should have the chance at clean air and clean water.”

Barack Obama

I serve with Debi Leblanc on the Keene Conservation Commission, and was rather horrified to hear back in December that her little dog, Suzette, had been attacked and mauled by a big dog. 

Based on my discussions with Debi, I wrote the following letter to the Mayor and City Council to see about getting the ball rolling on a potential ordinance that would require dogs with a history of attacking other dogs to be leashed and muzzled in public:

February 12, 2024

To the Honorable Mayor and City Council,

On December 7, 2023, Deborah Leblanc was walking her small dog, Suzette, on North Street when Suzette was attacked and mauled by a larger dog. Ms. Leblanc was herself bitten by the large dog as she worked with others to wrest Suzette from its grasp. 

As a result of this attack, Ms. Leblanc has felt unsafe in her neighborhood and has had to seek medical care as a precaution against rabies infection. Suzette has faced substantial veterinary bills and a difficult recovery.

The dog that attacked Suzette is known to be a repeat offender, with a record of attacking another dog in Keene last year. 

Ms. Leblanc has expressed to me her concern, which I share, that the City appears to have limited tools to prevent the dog that attacked Suzette from attacking other small dogs in the future. 

She has suggested that the City Council pass an ordinance requiring dogs with a record of attacking other dogs be required to wear a muzzle when in public. I believe the City Council would be empowered to pass such an ordinance under RSA 466:39.

I ask that this matter be brought before a Council committee for discussion and consideration of a possible ordinance.

Sincerely,

Bobby Williams

City Councilor, Ward 2

This letter was accepted at last Thursday's City Council meeting an referred to the Council's Planning, Licenses, and Development (PLD) Committee for discussion at the next meeting on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 PM. Please attend if you are local and have a perspective to share on this topic.

Did you know that at any given time in the United States there are currently more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ transplant, with most of them in need of a kidney. Or that seventeen people die every day while they await a transplant?

Well, get ready New Hampshire to become a money-making solution to that nation-wide problem! Enter Rep. Jason Gerhard (R-Northfield), fresh from a dozen years in prison for procuring pipe bomb making materials and weapons in support of Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield, NH, the couple who refused to surrender to authorities for tax evasion convictions. 

But I digress. . .

Rep. Gerhard is of the opinion that more donations would be forthcoming if a “free market” were to come into existence. Perhaps the wait time for a life saving organ would decrease also. I guess selling one’s organs would go a long way in helping to pay property taxes or make a car payment, just sell a lung. We’ve all got two. . .

It's a matter of personal freedom, according to Gerhard, “I think we gotta go back to the old adage: my body, my choice,” he said. “You should be able to do what you wish with your body, since it is your body, and the government does not own your body.”

I can’t believe he actually stated that in public. And as any woman of childbearing age will tell you, that “old adage,” in the world of Republicans, doesn’t apply to them.

Thankfully, cooler and brighter minds think otherwise. According to the New England Donor Services this proposed bill is not only unethical(!), but would contribute to an unfairness in the waiting period. Can’t you just see it? The wealthy would be able to afford first dibs on that coveted kidney. The rest of us. . .not so much. . .

Luckily, federal law prohibits the sale of organs, notwithstanding last years trifecta discovery of a Goffstown, NH couple, Harvard Medical School and body parts.

As of this astonishing revelation, so far, there is no vote scheduled yet in the NH House! 

There were many state issues that outgoing Governor Chris Sununu touted as “accomplishments” in his last State of the State speech on Thursday, Feb. 15. He then moved on to speak about the influx of migrants at the southern border.

While the following was not part of the governor’s speech, I will share that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently released their operational statistics for January 2024. What they reported was that migrant encounters along the southwest border were significantly lower than experienced in December, 2023. CBP monthly reporting can be accessed on CBP’s Stats and Summaries webpage.

Since mid-May, 2023 through the end of January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) returned or removed more than 520,000 migrants, a large majority of them having crossed through the southwestern border. Over the past three years a majority of all migrants have been expelled, returned or removed. And since mid-May, the total removals have surpassed removals since 2013. 

Last year, Sununu was able to appropriate funding of $1.4 million for the “Northern Border Alliance Task Force.” This enables local and state law enforcement with the ability to monitor our border with Canada, thus seizing anyone who illegally enters.

Now Sununu wants to assist the southern border with their migrant issues. Yesterday, February 15, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee approved his proposed $850,000 taxpayer dollars to send fifteen NH National Guard members to assist in monitoring the Eagle Pass, Texas part of the southern border for up to ninety days. According to Sununu, (who received a standing ovation from Republican lawmakers) “This is not a Texas problem. This is a national crisis. And New Hampshire has the chance to provide specialized support, follow the laws of the land, and keep our citizens safe.”

Oh goody! They have our safety in mind!

Moving right along from their hearty applause of keeping “our citizens safe,” Senate Republicans then proceeded to block gun violence prevention legislation which would have enacted what is called a “red flag” law. Continuing in their show of how serious they are in ensuring the safety of “our citizens,” the Republican Senate voted against a bill meant to expand background checks for all commercial sales and another bill seeking to place a mandatory three-day waiting period on gun purchases.

Awesome job, Republicans! The vast amount of NH citizens feel so much safer with you guys looking out for our safety at the southern border, while thumbing your noses at the safety of those who actually reside here!

What causes homelessness? 

Several issues, insufficient affordable housing, low wages, poverty and unemployment are the biggest causes. Domestic violence very often adds children to that situation. Those who do experience homelessness usually live in temporary shelters, transitional housing, “couch surf” (bouncing from one friend’s place to another) or stay in places not safe for or even considered as housing (i.e. abandoned buildings, cars, wooded areas).

Sadly, there are thousands of homeless people here in New Hampshire; an accurate count is challenging to keep as not everyone can be accounted for. For a better idea of current statistics, click on this link Homelessness in New Hampshire: Shelters, resources, statistics (wmur.com)

The end of last month saw legislation passed unanimously in the United States Senate on a bill that would extend the loan window from two years to five years, for the United States Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Section 524 Rural Housing site loan program. This program distributes loans to local and tribal governments in addition to non-profits. The loans aid in the purchase of land to then be sub-divided and developed into future building sites for those of low and moderate income. This bill will give a little more wiggle room and breathing space for borrowers. The bipartisan legislation was proposed by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Ks).

Additionally, Sen. Shaheen was instrumental, along with NH’s congressional delegation, in acquiring for our state, over $350 million in Emergency Rental Assistance Funds along with $50 million in Homeowner Assistance Funds. 

On Jan. 31, a press release from Rep. Annie Kuster announced federal grants for NH organizations in the amount of $12,838,362. These particular organizations provide financial aid for housing and provide support services for those who are homeless. The grants are made available through the United States Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, working with local and state governments and non-profits. Their goal is to rapidly (as possible) provide housing for domestic violence victims, families, individuals, sexual assault and stalking victims as well as young students.

Thanks to our elected officials in the House and Senate, along with policies put into place by the Biden administration, this federal funding will be beneficial for those who find themselves in need of safe, secure housing along with much needed resources.

Last budget season there was a big debate in the NH legislature about putting $1.4 million in the budget for the Northen Border Alliance Task Force Basically, it was money set aside to pay the state police overtime to help the feds patrol the northern border area - not that the feds had requested it.

But it was an emergency! To hear Governor Sununu tell it, hordes of people were coming over our remote section of the border with Canada, and something had to be done. Nobody was really sure of the size of the hoards, but it was a big problem, definitely.

The ACLU eventually got the Border Patrol to provide a count on how many border apprehensions we are talking about for this state. In the 15 months ending December 31, 2023, the number of migrants encountered by border control agents was 21. 

21 people in 10 stops.

An average of 0.67 stops, per month, on New Hampshire's northern border. 

Yeah, hoards. 

Great use of state resources there, Governor.

Dr. Marie S. Metoyer was not only New Hampshire’s first female psychiatrist, but also the first African-American psychiatrist in the state. This is her (brief) story:

Marie was born in 1925 in Jersey City, New Jersey. After graduating from Fordham University, summa cum laude, she continued her education at Cornell Medical School at the age of twenty. Marie was one of a handful of women there and went on to become the first African-American female to graduate from Cornell.

During her time at the medical school, she met her future husband, Victor Metoyer Jr., an architectural draftsman/artist. Victor was from Nebraska and was stationed in New York City as this was during the second World War. They married, had five children and relocated to Jersey City.

While back in NJ, from 1952-1968 Dr. Metoyer took over her mother’s gynecology and obstetrics practice. From 1968-1972, she attended the University of Vermont in pursuit of a residency in psychiatry, eventually getting a Fellowship in Community and Child Psychiatry. She practiced in Vermont from 1972-1981, the only psychiatrist in the Northeast Kingdom. 

In 1981, Victor and Marie moved to Manchester, NH where Marie first worked from 1981-85 as a psychiatrist at Manchester Mental Health. She then went on to become “Clinical Director of the Day Program” from 1985-96 at the same facility. Along with specializing in community mental health, her many other achievements were as follows:

• Chairperson of the Women’s Committee of NH Psychiatric Society 1990-92
• Member of Ethics Committee of the NH Psychiatric Society 1990-95, and 1999
• Held memberships in several national psychiatric organizations.

After retiring in 1996, Marie busied herself by promoting African-American heritage, black scholarship, cultural diversity, racial equality, women’s rights and the fine arts. She received the “Susan B. Anthony” Award in 2002 from the Manchester YWCA. In 2007, New Hampshire Magazine named her a member of the “It” list along with Nabil Migali for their multi-cultural work in reviving People Fest. The following year, Marie received the Martin Luther King award from the MLK Coalition. She was honored by Senator Jeanne Shaheen in 2012 for her years of dedication and service to the people of NH. Marie also found time to be an active member of the New England chapter of the African American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS).

As an interesting aside, Gabriel Coakley, Marie’s great-grandfather and a freed slave, played a vital part in the founding of St. Augustine Church in Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. The church is thought to be the "Mother Church of Black Catholics”, the first Black parish in the district and administrator of DC's oldest surviving Black school.

Dr. Marie S. Metoyer passed away at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack on March 17, 2020 at the age of 94. We salute this intelligent, trail-blazing, and dedicated woman of medicine.

On Thursday, February 1, three bills addressing abortion were defeated in the New Hampshire House. 

CACR 23 was sponsored by Rep. Amanda Toll (D-Keene), whose bill would have protected abortion rights up to 24 weeks, by adding an amendment to the state constitution. Abortion is presently banned after 24 weeks, except in the case of a deadly abnormality in the fetus or the health of the mother is in jeopardy. Three-fifths of a majority vote was needed for a constitutional amendment but still wasn’t enough even with a 193-184 majority win. 

Rep. David Testerman (R-Franklin) had sponsored House Bill 1248, which was meant to institute a 15-day abortion ban. Most mothers would attest to the fact they had no idea they were pregnant at barely two weeks, this one included! This legislation was “indefinitely postponed” by a vote of 363-11.

Rep. Testerman continued with his losing streak by sponsoring House Bill 1541 which aimed to hinder abortion access after 15 weeks. This legislation would have required an abortion take place at a hospital that has a premature birth intensive care unit along with another doctor in attendance. This too, failed with a voice vote.

For those who don’t know, there are just two hospitals in NH with an intensive care unit for premature babies or neonatals, Dartmouth Hospital in Lebanon and Eliot Hospital in Manchester.

In the Senate, Sen. Debra Altschiller (D-Stratham) has proposed Senate Bill 575. This bill aims to forbid NH officials from collaborating with others from out-of-state who want to curtail birth control and abortion. The Senator is also the sponsor of CACR 24, a constitutional amendment which proposes to add language to protect the right of an individual to reproductive autonomy.

Stay tuned, the fight for women’s reproductive rights are far from over in New Hampshire!

Can you imagine not being able to legally drive from one state to another if you needed to? Most of us wouldn’t even think twice about it as we’re so close to Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine, easily driving in and out of those states, along with other states not as close but within driving distance. 

Now imagine being an undocumented individual with a valid driver’s license from, say, Vermont, who drove into New Hampshire.  You and I wouldn’t even think an arrest or possible deportation would be the result of such an action. Yet, here we go again with the NH legislature targeting undocumented immigrants for something as harmless as an out-of-state driver’s license!

On Tues. Jan. 23, a hearing was held on a bill that was first introduced the previous week whose sole goal is to invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants. Just to be clear, beginning with Washington state in 1993, 18 states and DC have since allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Each of these states have similar stipulations that go along with the driver’s license. For example:

New Jersey law creates two types of licenses, the federally accepted REAL ID and a Standard Basic license, available to any New Jersey resident regardless of immigration status. The law also prohibits discrimination against people with Standard Basic licenses.

Utah law issues a “driving privilege” card to undocumented immigrants who can prove Utah residency. The card is different from a regular driver’s license by format, color, or other visual means and is clearly marked with “FOR DRIVING PRIVILEGES ONLY–NOT VALID FOR IDENTIFICATION.” The card may not be used for government identification and is valid for one year.

Maryland law permits people without social security numbers to obtain a driver’s license if they have filed a Maryland tax return or were claimed as a dependent of someone who filed a Maryland tax return for the previous two years. The driver’s license must have a design or color to distinguish it from other driver’s licenses and identification cards, may not be used for federal identification purposes, and may not be used to purchase a firearm.

There are also several city governments, such as San Francisco, CA, New Haven, CT, and Asbury Park, NJ, who will issue photo identification cards to undocumented residents. These ID cards are not to be used as driver’s licenses.

Here in New Hampshire, eight Republican state senators and two Republican state representatives recently introduced SB358. This bill will give the state the right to invalidate these out-of-state licenses. Should the bill pass, if a law enforcement officer stops a driver with an “invalid” license, the officer could charge the driver with a Class B misdemeanor of “driving without a license.” 

Seriously??!

People who receive these licenses from other states, including those who are undocumented, must pass road test exams, have driver identification, and often maintain car insurance. Not to different from NH requirements for drivers.

This proposed bill is just another way of targeting undocumented people. Have something to say about this? Tell your state senator to defeat it. They need to hear from us.