Back in November of 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. Since then, New Hampshire (and other states) have been receiving federal money to update and/or improve their roads, bridges, public transportation and building more electric vehicle charging stations to name a few issues that money has been earmarked for. 

Phase 1 of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program will be to place charging stations along Route 16 and Interstate 93. The recipients of $2.8 million, through the state’s Dept. of Transportation (DOT), are the towns of North Woodstock, Rochester, Sanbornville and Tilton:

• North Woodstock; White Mountain Visitor Center, developed by ReVision Energy;
• Tilton; 75 Laconia Road, developed by Gridwealth EV;
• Rochester; 127 Market Place Boulevard, developed by Gridwealth EV;
• Sanbornville; Global Mobil Mart, developed by Global Montello Group.

Once approved by the governor and the Executive Council, placement of these charging stations can begin before the end of the year. 

Well, they’re at it again. By “they” I mean the New Hampshire House Republicans. By “it” I mean more attempts at voter suppression.

According to recent information from Independent Voter Project, NH has just under one million registered voters. The numbers are broken up like this: Undeclared – 399,395; Democrats – 303,060; Republicans – 298,470. 

One can see at a glance, where the minority lies. 

With a new year comes new attempts at voter suppression by the minority group who holds the majority in Concord. Rep. Robert Lynn (R-Windham) recently proposed House Bill 1569, which is meant to greatly increase voting requirements. If passed, a photo ID would be required at the polling place, no exceptions. Presently, a first time voter can affirm their identity and residence by filling out an affidavit and within a week of the election, mail the proper corresponding documents to the Secretary of State’s office. Failure to do so results in their ballot being disqualified from the final count. There is also a little matter of NH law; voting with a false address or identity can be investigated by the Atty. General’s office as voter fraud under RSA 7:6-c. 

Rep. Lynn’s proposed bill would do away with the affidavit, instead requiring first time voters to bring in a birth certificate, naturalization papers or a passport. Other documents proving citizenship would also be accepted for registering. 

What college student generally has that kind of document(s) hanging around their dorm? Maybe that’s the point, stop them from exercising their right to vote.

This bill was tabled last year in the House after it was deadlocked (along party lines) by the Election Law Committee on whether or not to recommend it. Now the bill has reared its suppressive head once again at a Feb. 20 hearing before the Election Law Committee. Those opposed basically argued “the system ain’t broke,” no fixing necessary. The affidavit system is working just fine, thank you very much!

A little brief history about an earlier attempt at voter suppression. In 2018, House Bill 1264, came before the NH Supreme Court. This particular legislation made it harder for college students by amending the definitions of the words “resident” and “residency.” The chief justice of the NH Supreme Court at the time was none other than Mr. Robert Lynn. He authored the court’s opinion and found the law to be constitutional. 

Gov. Chris Sununu, who had once promised, he "would never support anything that suppresses the student vote", then signed HB 1264 into law.

It remains to be seen if HB 1569 is unconstitutional. 

There are several organizations actively working to protect voting rights and promote fair, accessible elections. Here are a few:

1. League of Women Voters of New Hampshire (LWVNH): The LWVNH is a nonpartisan organization that focuses on educating voters, advocating for voting rights, and encouraging civic participation. They provide valuable information about elections, candidates, and voting procedures.
2. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Hampshire: The ACLU is committed to defending civil liberties, including voting rights. They engage in legal advocacy, public education, and lobbying efforts to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot without hindrance.
3. New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights: This coalition of organizations and individuals works collaboratively to protect voting rights. They advocate for policies that expand ballot access, combat voter suppression, and promote transparency in elections.
4. Common Cause New Hampshire: Common Cause is dedicated to promoting open, honest, and accountable government. They work on issues related to campaign finance reform, redistricting, and voting rights.
5. Granite State Progress: While not exclusively focused on voting rights, they advocate for progressive policies and fair elections. They monitor legislation and engage in grassroots organizing.

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.