NH News

Members of the Occupy New Hampshire movement demonstrated in Manchester this weekend.

More than 200 protesters gathered in Veteran’s Park Saturday afternoon to express their dissatisfaction with the state of the country and proclaim their solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Referring to themselves as the 99%, the assembled demonstrators protested the concentration of wealth in the top 1% of the population.

At one point, around 100 of the activists marched down Elm Street, picketing in front of the Bank of America and Citizens Bank buildings.

Because of a faraway tragedy, and a fluke of nature, the two men are learning a thing or two about the global economy – and about the fine line between passion and obsession.

If there were such a thing as a professional mushroom forager in New Hampshire, Keith Garrett would be it. So would Eric Milligan.

The two men have been hunting mushrooms in the Lakes Region for the last six years. More than 5,000 species of mushrooms have been identified in this region alone, but Milligan and Garrett are walking encyclopedias.

A new report projects winter household heating oil will be at an all-time high.The cost of all major heating sources is up this season, with the exception of electricity.

Heating oil has seen the biggest increase, 33 cents more than this time last year.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says on average, a gallon will now run about $3.71.

EIA’s Howard Gruenspecht says world oil prices have been jumping around.

A minor bill to make technical corrections to the budget has caused a rift between Senate and House Republican leadership. The Senate President says the House’s actions yesterday will cost taxpayers several million dollars.

On Wednesday House lawmakers approved a bill that reduces the number of people of eligible for welfare assistance.

The change would save the state about a half a million dollars a month.

The Senate was on board with that move.

But then the House added a completely unrelated amendment, which puts the bill in limbo.

It’s that time of year when people light fires in the morning, or see their tomatoes glazed in frost. It won’t be much longer before the real cold comes. Last year, some 45,000 families around New Hampshire received some help paying their heating bills. But this winter, all signs point to a cut in federal fuel assistance.

The math is pretty simple, says Mark Wolfe with the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association.

“At this point both the House and Senate both call for a cut of about $1 billion dollars.”

Virginia speaks with one of the refugees in the film, Deo Mwano, and the film’s executive producer, Mary Jo Alibrio from the University of New Hampshire’s Center for the Humanities.

• Uprooted website
• TEDx Amoskeag Millyard

It takes a lot of effort, determination, and bravery to come to a new country as a refugee and learn not only a new language but a new culture.

One could compare it to climbing a mountain.

A Manchester resident is going to climb a few mountains himself to raise money for the city’s refugees.

Starting tomorrow, Dan Szczesny aims to climb New Hampshire’s 4000 foot peaks… all 48 of them… in a month.

But first he joins us in the studio to talk about the project.

At least 200 people wore yellow, waved signs, and pledged unity with their neighbors, saying hateful actions against refugees don't represent the Concord they know.

As Namory Keita and the West African Drummers played, the crowd swelled. People drifted in, many wearing yellow shirts. 

They picked up yellow and black signs proclaiming Love Your Neighbor. Soon, the lawn was a sea of yellow.

A series of speakers denounced the crime that occurred early this month – one that shocked people here in the state capitol.

Refugee families are targeted with paragraphs of graffiti in Concord, New Hampshire. Sarah Palermo is the reporter covering the story for the Concord Monitor.

Links:

• Sarah's coverage of the story in the Concord Monitor

In 2009, we spoke with new York Times reporter Warren St. John about his book Outcasts United– which tells the story of the Fugees soccer team and the growth of community around them.  The book is currently being featured in the Concord Reads program at the Concord Public Library.  Concord is a city that has experienced its own influx of refugees from war torn countries in recent years.  Here is what Warren had to say about the Fugees' inspiring story.

Links:

From Burundi to Burma, from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan, refugees from around the globe have been placed in New Hampshire to start their lives anew.  Here they find new freedoms and far less dangers but new challenges as well.  Many have to learn English, the American laws, become educated and find work.  Federal programs help a lot but so do the cities and towns in which they are placed.  Now Manchester wants to put a moratorium on any new refugees resettling here.  City officials worry that they currently don't have enough resources to assist its current residents and with tight budgets get

Manchester officials are calling for a moratorium on refugee resettlement. Before anyone else arrives, city leaders say current refugees need more help finding work, learning English and getting educated then they currently receive. And now with state and local social service cutbacks, city leaders worry about Manchester’s diminishing capacity to help the newcomers. NHPR’s Dan Gorenstein reports.

Pat Long knows that some people will see him as a xenophobic Alderman from Manchester.

During these tough economic times people often turn to churches, synagogues and other faith-based organizations for help. Maybe the church runs a shelter, maybe congregants cook food for a family, maybe the temple has a clothing drive.

But while communities of faith will do what they can to help their members and others in the community, few are as well-organized as the Mormon church.

NHPR Correspondent Sheryl Rich-Kern has the story.

Sound of door opening, Kirsta saying hello, hi, how are you, come on in, fade under

Krista’s apartment is a little cramped.

About 4500 people living in New Hampshire were born in India. And more than a third of them live in Nashua. They do their best to keep their connections with their culture through their cooking and recreation - Nashua alone has five cricket teams. But one thing they don't have is a place to pray. Now a group of local residents is saying it's time to open a Hindu temple.