Press Log 07/17/15 to 09/17/15
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Dinner and a movie series starts on August 5. The Telegraph By TINA FORBES, Staff Writer Monday, July 20, 2015 http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1067857-469/dinner-and-a-movie-series-starts-on.html NASHUA - A summer favorite, the Downtown Dinner and a Movie series, will return to the streets of Nashua for two shows in August, and a series finale in September. The event shuts down a city side street, usually East Pearl Street, and movies play on a large projection screen outdoors while neighboring restaurants serve a special food and drink menu to patrons al fresco. The show begins at dusk, although people can show up at 7 p.m. to grab a table and order food. In past summers, the series featured classics and newer movies from "Caddyshack" and "The Graduate" to "Bridesmaids" and "Anchorman." Typically the program kicks off in June and wraps up in late summer, but this year a delay left residents wondering if the popular series would return. "Will there be movies downtown this summer?" asked Tricia McGarry Ross on the Nashua Movies Facebook page. "The chamber is going through a transition, we just got a new president, and that took up a lot of our time," said Maxwell Snelling, spokesperson for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. The event Facebook page announced a return in early July with two events; "Pretty Woman," catered by Stella Blu on Aug. 5, and "The Italian Job," hosted by new downtown neighbor, Fratello's Italian Grille. "We're excited to have them, they have great Italian food," said Snelling of Fratello's. The restaurant takes the place of Villa Banca, which participated in the series last summer but closed at the end of 2014. A final screening is scheduled for Sept. 2 hosted by Stella Blu, but the movie is yet to be announced. "We are looking to leave the movie choice up to the populace by having a 'people's choice poll,' " he said. Though not posted yet, the poll will appear on the event website, www.nashuamovies.com. The chamber has partnered with Community Events, LLC, to host the series for the past four years. Community Events teams up with the city to throw other major events, such as the annual Holiday Stroll. While the series got a late start this year, Snelling said he expects the program to continue next summer. Tickets for the Downtown Dinner and Movie events can be purchased online at www.nashuamovies.com/schedule/, or the day of the event at the entrance to the dining area on East Pearl Street. However, with limited seating, the events can sell out. Tina Forbes can be reached at 594-6402, tforbes@nashuatelegraph. com or @Telegraph_TinaF.
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Downtown ‘Dinner & Movie’ series is back Aug. 5 Nashua Telegraph: Encore Thursday, July 30, 2015 http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/foodfun/artsentertainment/1068360-485/downtown-dinner-movie-series-is-back.html DINNER & MOVIE SERIES SCHEDULE Aug. 5: 'Pretty Woman' and Stella Blu. AUG. 19: 'The Italian Job' and Fratello's. SEPT. 2: 'Jaws' and Stella Blu. Rain dates are the following day. More information at www.nashuamovies.com/. NASHUA - On Wednesday, Aug. 5 (rain date Thursday), the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce will be partnering with local special events company Community Events LLC and presenting sponsor Eastern Bank to kick off the 2015 Downtown Dinner & Movie series. That night, East Pearl Street in downtown Nashua will be shut off to vehicular traffic and attendees will be treated to a viewing of "Pretty Woman," celebrating its 25th anniversary. Stella Blu American Tapas & Martini Bar will provide a select menu for dinner and drinks for purchase to those enjoying the movie. The Dinner & Movie series will also include the film "The Italian Job," paired with Fratello's Italian Grille on Aug. 19; and a showing of "Jaws," which was selected via an online survey that featured three different movie options. That movie will be teamed up with Stella Blu on Sept. 2. Rain dates are the following day. The Downtown Dinner & Movie series is entering its fourth summer, and helps to further downtown Nashua's reputation as a place where people can not only enjoy superb dining and shopping, but also enjoy unique entertainment experiences. The Dinner & Movie series is the only program of its kind within northern New England. While other communities host "movies in the park," this is the only series that regularly holds an outdoor restaurant-and-cinema formatted program on a public street within a central business district. On those Wednesday evenings throughout August and September, patrons can show up at 7 p.m. and enjoy fine dining and drinks outdoors, right in Nashua's beautiful and picturesque downtown. Once dusk settles in, the movie of the night will begin. Food and beverage service will continue during the movie, and will end at approximately 10:45 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 the day of the movie. VIP table packages for eight guests or more are available. Tickets are available online at nashuamovies.com or by calling the Chamber offices at 8818333.
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Legacy Playground gets approval Nashua Telegraph Wednesday, August 12, 2015 By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1069067-469/legacy-playground-gets-approval.html NASHUA – The Legacy Playground project won final approval from aldermen with surprising ease Tuesday, putting the fully- accessible playground on track to be built at Labine Park by year’s end. The unanimous 15-0 vote to accept $170,000 in money and equipment was in sharp contrast to the contention that marked the project since the Leadership Greater Nashua Class of 2012 first proposed a playground that would accessible to seniors, children, veterans, the disabled and all others with walking difficulties three years ago. Much of the earlier dissension that bogged down the proposal was a result of initial plans to put the playground in Greeley Park. That idea was abandoned last fall in the face of mostly neighborhood resistance and when a study revealed it would cost $500,000. Leadership Greater Nashua then set its sights on Labine Playground. The idea quickly gained support from Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, public works commissioners and aldermen, who said it offered the added benefit of fixing up the Cleveland Street park that had fallen into disrepair. Labine Park is near Fairgrounds Middle School and Fairgrounds Elementary School. “I’m speechless tonight. This has been a long journey,” Eric Brand project leader for the Legacy Playground Project, told aldermen. “We’ve been through a lot of things to make this a reality. Thank you very much,” he added. The $170,000 gift from Leadership Greater Nashua – a program of the Chamber of Commerce – comes with two conditions. One requires a representative from Leadership Greater Nashua to be part of the design process and approve the specific use of the donated funds. The other is that $15,000 of the funds no longer will be available if the project is not done by Dec. 12. Brand said the group that offered the $15,000 grant has extended its offer more than once before and set the deadline. Lozeau has estimated that improvements to Labine Park would cost about $275,000. The city already has set aside $75,000 to do the work, she said. That, coupled with the $170,000 offered by Leadership Greater Nashua, still would leave the project about $30,000 short. Aldermen also unanimously authorized the mayor to enter into a three-way agreement among the city, the state Department of Transportation and Pan Am Railways to reconstruct and make upgrades to the rail crossing at East Hollis Street at Temple Street. The project includes replacing significant portion of tracks, installing new signals and signs, improving curbing, sidewalks and putting in new pavement. Total cost of the work is $638,421. Federal highway money would cover 95 percent of the cost and the city would pick up the remaining $32,121, according to city planning and engineering staff. The city would use an escrow fund for rail improvements and an existing contract to restore that intersection, staff said. 4
Work is slated to begin by Sept. 15. Two ward aldermen announced they will not run for re-election. Ward 4 Alderman Pam Brown and Ward 5 Alderman Michael Soucy said they will not seek second terms. Their current terms expire in early January. Brown thanked the mayor, her staff and constituents. Soucy said he will be taking on extra work responsibilities that will prevent him from devoting the time needed to the aldermen’s job. Soucy said he still has “some legislation I want to put through in the next five months.”
Dinner & Movie downtown Aug. 19 Nashua Telegraph Thursday, August 13, 2015 http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/foodfun/artsentertainment/1069128-485/dinner--moviedowntown-aug.-19.html NASHUA - From 7-11 p.m. Wednesday, Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and Community Events LLC present "The Italian Job," the second film in the Dinner & Movie summer series. The film will be shown outdoors on East Pearl Street off Main Street, and will be paired with food and drink from Fratello's Italian Grille. Tickets are $8, or $10 for reserved seating for parties of 8. VIP tables for 8 are $18.75. Purchase tickets at conta.cc/1EjI7y1. For more information, contact Cecilia Ulibarri at Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce at 881-8333, or visit www.nashuamovies.com.
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Event honors Indian culture The Nashua Telegraph Friday, August 14, 2015 By TINA FORBES, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1069187-469/event-honors-indian-culture.html NASHUA - Celebrating culture, music, dance, diversity and democracy, city and state officials are preparing to host the second Celebration of Democracy on Indian Independence Day at Rotary Common Park in Nashua. "It's a theme in 21st century America; every community is a global community," said Latha Mangipudi, a state representative and Nashua resident. "It's exciting, it's not just local, it's a global community." Mangipudi brought the event back to the city for a second year along with Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce present and CEO Tracy Hatch. "It's a celebration of democracy and the importance of participation," said Mangipudi. Featuring Nashua high school student speakers and local musicians, she said the event this year will have "a focus on the youth and the future of the state." Hatch said the diversity of the city makes it stronger. "Recognizing and celebrating diversity is important for the business community and for the community as a whole," said Hatch. Mangipudi spearheaded the event last year with former chamber president Chris Williams. While last year was prompted by the massive, and peaceful, election for India's newest Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, she said this year the focus will shift toward the participation of Nashua's youth and Indian population in the local political process. Speakers include Dody Eid, Nashua High School South liaison to the Nashua Board of education, and Nashua South graduate Jay Chittidi, organizer of Nashua Students for a Fair Budget. Both have been active in city and school district politics over the past year, particularly with respect to the school budget and mayoral race. Young musicians will sing the Indian and American national anthems, and singer-songwriter Ariana Hodes, and students from Bollywood Dance N.H. are also slated to perform. Local businessman, yoga instructor and pharmacist Jay Gupta will be master of ceremonies for the celebration. Gupta co-founded YogaCaps, Inc., sharing yoga therapy with people undergoing cancer treatment. He said the event will feature "a little segment of yoga to celebrate the culture of India." Another facet of the celebration is highlighting the bonds between New Hampshire and Indian Americans and India. "There's a lot of constant activity in terms of connecting the two democracies," said Mangipudi. 6
Since last year's event, Mangipudi hosted a dinner for the governor and Indian American business leaders this spring, and welcomed an Indian delegation to Nashua City Hall in July to discuss growing business and higher education opportunities between India and New Hampshire. Participation and appreciation of Indian culture are growing in the community, such as the first celebration of International Yoga Day at Rotary Common Park in June, and the airing of the opening cricket match at Chunky's Cinema in April, organizers said. Rivier University has also formed its own cricket team. Mangipudi said the community has been supportive of the celebration. "There's a lot of support, a lot of excitement from all our sponsors here in Nashua," she said, citing Southern New Hampshire Health Systems, the League of Women Voters, Great American Downtown and City Arts. Across from the Main Street Market Plaza, Rotary Common Park sits at the gateway to downtown Nashua and includes the Labyrinth, Reflection Garden and Holocaust Memorial. Parking is available in the plaza. Tina Forbes can be reached at 594-6402, tforbes@nashuatelegraph. com or @Telegraph_TinaF.
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Annual Back-to-School celebration this Thursday Nashua Telegraph Tuesday, August 25, 2015 By TINA FORBES, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1069695-469/annual-back-to-school-celebration-thisthursday.html NASHUA - The annual Nashua Goes Back to School event has kicked off the school year for more than a decade, and while a major focus is on distributing school supplies to students, it's also about celebrating the new school year. "We all look forward to it," said Superintendent of Schools Mark Conrad, "It's become part of our culture." City agencies, community groups and local businesses collaborate every year to throw a back to school party for Nashua families. "It's part of a community-wide effort to make sure our students have what they need to start the school year," said Conrad, adding the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter played a major role in supporting students this summer with their Backpack Program, which distributed about 2,000 bags full of school supplies for students. Hosted by the city and the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce at the Nashua Public Library, the event is open to all Nashua students and their families and includes school supply giveaways and meet-and-greet opportunities with school administrators in the Children's Library. "It plays an important role because there are a lot of resources represented," Conrad said. Outside the library on the plaza, community organizations will gather to share information on their programs with parents and students, according to Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja, Ward 8 Alderwoman and key organizer of the event. She said DJ Bernie from Perfect Entertainment will set up in Library Plaza to play music and at the end of the event donated back packs will be given away as raffle prizes. The Lions Club will conduct eye-screenings, NH Health Kids representatives will have informational applications, and Nashua Public Health and Community Services will offer free immunizations to all students who have a parent in attendance. Principals and assistant principals from each school are expected to attend to catch up with students and families. "Every school will be represented," said Conrad, adding he always attends back to school night as well. Teachers, students and student athletes have also signed up to volunteer their time too.
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In case of inclement weather the outdoor activities will be canceled, but the donated backpacks will still be raffled off and Nashua principals will be set up inside the library to meet families and give away school supplies. A committee of staff members from the city school district, the city health and parks and recreation departments, the library, YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, the Chamber and community volunteers organized the event, Melizzi-Golja said. George Katis, owner of Nashua Wallpaper Co., worked with the Chamber to raise about $10,000 for the school supplies, and 20 members from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program packed 1,500 "goodie bags" of school supplies, she said. The 2014 was the largest back to school night yet, with 40 agencies and businesses and an estimated 3,000 people attending. The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 1. Tina Forbes can be reached at 594-6402 or tforbes@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_TinaF.
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A Younger NH: What's being done to keep under-40s in the state Hippo Press 08/27/15 By Kelly Sennott, ksennott@hippopress.com http://www.hippopress.com/read-article/a-younger-nh About 10 years ago, it became clear that New Hampshire had a problem: It was getting too old. As baby boomers were inching toward retirement, the young professionals who would replace them were moving out of state in search of the dream lifestyle, or the dream job to pay off college loans. Going to Boston or New York or Colorado was the cool, and seemingly smart, thing to do. Staying here — not so much. Research by the University System of New Hampshire showed that in 2007, only 50 percent of Granite State college grads were staying to work here. Why they were leaving was uncertain; we had employers who needed employees, and though the salaries weren’t as substantial as those in big cities, we also had a lower cost of living. So New Hampshire leaders decided to find out what was prompting young people to leave. Out of this USNH study came the 55 percent initiative, a call to develop creative ways to entice future grads to stay, work and play here, and more specifically to turn that 50 percent to 55 percent. In 2008, Gov. John Lynch put out an executive order to create a task force to analyze the issue and create a game plan, which was released in 2009. Some of the ideas in that game plan: Start the nonprofit Stay Work Play New Hampshire. Highlight businesses that recruit and retain young workers. Expand young professional networks. Support more internships. Recreate college career placement offices. Re-introduce rail on the capitol corridor. Support more workforce housing options. A lot has changed since then — physically, economically, demographically — but we’ve been working at these initiatives for a few years. So, how are we doing? The answer, not surprisingly, is difficult to measure. Some recommendations from the 2009 task force report have been addressed. Some haven’t. But one thing’s for certain: The idea to “stay, work, play” has become a mainstay in discussions about community and economic development. As Gov. Maggie Hassan said via email, “In order to lay the foundation for a new generation of economic growth, it’s absolutely critical that we continue to build on our efforts to attract and retain more young people in our state.” The beginning The biggest call to connect young people has been answered in the creation of Stay Work Play New Hampshire, headed by CEO and President Kate Luczko. The organization is the bridge between businesses, incubators, colleges, internship programs and young professional organizations — the latter of which has seen a “huge amount of energy” during the past five years, Luczko said. Before young professional networks existed, the New Hampshire business air was very different, Manchester Young Professionals Network (MYPN) co-founder Stephanie McLaughlin said via phone. Eleven years ago, she was in her early 30s and an associate publisher for Business New Hampshire Magazine. Her job required she constantly be at Chamber of Commerce events, dinners and nonprofit fundraisers, to look for stories and be visible. It could be daunting — mostly because she felt she didn’t fit in. 10
“As I went to these events, a couple things became clear to me. One: there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me,” McLaughlin said. “They were people who were much older than me, already established in their careers. And by and large, they also all knew each other. One thing about Manchester — once you get involved, you realize it’s a pretty small town.” Slowly, she began finding those who did look like her — early- to mid-career but ambitious people who worked for the Chamber of Commerce, Intown Manchester, the mayor’s office. “These events weren’t necessarily programmed toward us,” she said. “But we were interested in building something that was.” They thought they might not be the only ones who felt this way. At their first networking event, at an Elm Street restaurant, they expected a crowd of 100. They got almost 200. Young professional network growth Shortly after, Nashua (IUGO) and Concord (Concord Young Professionals Network) jumped on the bandwagon and formed their own young professionals networks. Today, there are 13 regional ones, including on the Seacoast, in the Lakes Region, the Upper Valley and the Keene area. Some YPN events are one-hour networking shindigs with business cards. Others involve workshops on how to better yourself in the workplace — email writing! The art of negotiation! How to ask for a raise! Many more are meant to be fun. IUGO has been focusing on creating social events that showcase fun things to do in the area — hiking at Beaver Brook, wine tasting, pub crawls — and people have responded. “About a year ago, we decided to increase opportunities for people to come out and socially meet each other … not necessarily in a professional development format. That has really boosted attendance, at least here in Nashua,” said Michael Aquino, chair of IUGO. “We’re trying to highlight what’s here instead of trying to fabricate gimicky events. We try to entertain them instead, and show, why do people come here to live, work and play?” Within the state also exist industry-specific groups, like the New Hampshire Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Associated Builders and Contractors Young Professionals Group. Luczko regularly brings together network chairs for a group phone call to talk about what’s been working and what hasn’t. Because of this bridge, networks can learn from one another. After Manchester’s successful “Corner Office Connections” — they paired up-and-coming young professionals with established ones in the community — Concord is in the beginning stages of doing something similar. Derry Londonderry Young Professionals Network Chair Nicholas del’Etoile said via phone one of his goals was to get people out of the woodwork. He’d been a member of MYPN for years and said he likes meeting others who are going through the same things as he. “A lot of times, for younger people in business, all they see is tenured people around. It allows people an outlet, where they can meet other people in similar circumstances,” del’Etoile said. The challenges? Some YPNs, Luczko said, have struggled in more rural areas, like Plymouth, where the town all but disappears come summer. Del’Etoile said DLYPN is only a couple years old, but it’s
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been difficult because there exist few young professionals compared to Nashua, Manchester and Concord.
Expanding career centers Local colleges have been making big changes. UNH Manchester didn’t even really have an organized career center until a couple years ago, said Jennifer Landon, the school’s new career consultant. When it did form, it was strategically positioned as the first stop of the student/parent tour of the new Pandora Building, located among the millyard’s hotbed of tech companies. Inside the career center is Landon’s office and a room for mock interviews, complete with desk, camera and television. Along one wall is a New Hampshire map scattered with gold and silver stars, representing where students have interned or worked or where they’re going to grad school. These are the things prospective parents and students really want to see, she said. That and numbers, which is true across the state and across the country, Luczko said. “[Parents and students] want to know what percentage of graduates get jobs within a year after graduation. So universities are having to step up their game, to make sure that career advisors, and whoever it is, are actually placing students,” Luczko said. Added Landon, “Ten years ago, a career center was considered more of a cost center. We don’t bring in any money. Now that we’re seeing that the services we provide are very valuable to the students, more parents and families are asking those questions: What do your graduates do? Where do they go?” While growing college career centers could cause more students to stay here, Krystal Hicks, director of Career Services at UNH Durham, said it’s not her job to get students to remain in New Hampshire, but to get them employed, period. Business partnerships Colleges and businesses have been working together to create more opportunities for students. Many interviewed businesses with strong internship programs said they worked directly with college career offices or else posted positions on college job/internship websites (for instance, UNH’s Wildcat Careers). For UNH Manchester, the move has caught the attention of many local businesses right in the millyard, said Sarah Jacobs, director of strategic initiatives, with plans to create more businessschool partnerships come fall. “Businesses who already had partnerships with us are very proud. Those who didn’t realize what a huge resource they have in the millyard,” Jacobs said. At UNH Manchester, the Pandora Building also has more raw space for things like job and employer fairs.
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“We didn’t have a lot of space to be able to invite employers into events. We have a lot of faculty who invited alumni and parents to the classrooms, to talk about résumé reviews, to talk about employability skills, but we didn’t really have a venue to welcome multiple employers,” Landon said. Beth Prieto, executive director of career development at SNHU, also said there’s been a push to create more partnerships within the community and also bring more employers into the school, and New Hampshire Institute of Art Career Services Director Lindsay Coats echoed the sentiment. Though the goal is for NHIA students to become working artists, it often turns out that when these students work personally with local employers — creating graphic design advertisements or painting murals on business walls — they become invested in the community; according to NHIA data, about 62 percent of NHIA alum continue to reside in New Hampshire. Climate of coolness Outside colleges, there exist incentives to take on interns and young employees. Stay Work Play, for instance, highlights companies that do an exemplary job of taking on interns and entry-level workers, from the Rising Stars Awards (celebrating and recognizing young professionals and the programs and businesses that recruit and retain them) to the Stay Work Play Challenge Grant (an incentive program that showcases employers who contribute $8,000 to pay down college loans for newly hired grads over the first four years of employment). “I think just having the issue more on the forefront of people’s minds has helped. Like this cool company award, for instance — employers are positioning themselves as a place that young people want to work,” Luczko said. “I see a lot of companies who are trying to create almost a climate of coolness that appeals to young workers,” said Matt Cookson, who runs Cookson Strategies and is a Stay Work Play founder. “The trend of dressing down, for example. Flexible work schedules. Hip work spaces.” Companies able to retain young workers or maintain highly ranked intern programs have some commonalities. At Single Digits, Inc., aesthetic is important, with modern cubicles and computers. But they also have fun stuff: Doughnut Wednesdays, Popcorn Fridays, a work softball league. Dyn, which boasts 24 interns a year (they usually have to turn many away), has an on-site gym and dogfriendly office space. Couches and different kinds of seating are scattered throughout the building, as are video games, a pingpong table, a Foosball table and a rock-climbing wall. “I think one of the things really important to younger workers now is finding companies that are innovative and that focus a lot on culture and promote work-life balance,” said Kim Saturley, a talent business partner at Dyn. Business mentors Many of these companies also perform research to learn what young professionals are looking for, which, according to those recruiters interviewed, is the opportunity to grow, both upward and sideways, and to be mentored. “Millennials like to have a say in what they’re doing. They like to have an impact. They like to be empowered,” said Angela Carter, senior vice president at Calypso Communications, which has been hosting interns since its very start 15 years ago. “But as much as they want to be heard, they want feedback too.” 13
Challenges exist in businesses that have strong intern and entry-level employment programs. Sometimes you get interns who help your office. Sometimes you don’t. But lots of business owners claim it’s been key to growth. Hampton resident Eric Marx, for instance, moved his Probity IT office from Danvers, Mass., to Durham because of its proximity to UNH. Right now, he has two full-time employees, including himself, and a few part-time students. Marx can now mold students into the kinds of workers he wants. They also provide fresh perspectives and are free from bad habits, he said. “It’s been very rewarding for me to see their growth,” Marx said. Carter agreed. “Interns come in with a fresh perspective. They’re not jaded. They invigorate us and open us up to other things we might not be aware of,” Carter said. Less buying, more renting Young professionals are less inclined to buy than they used to be; after the 2008 and 2009 downturn, many people coming out of school had to settle for unsatisfactory first jobs, making less money than they would have liked, said Newton Kershaw III, CEO of Elm Grove Companies. “Or they needed to be mindful of where they were spending their money, because they didn’t know about the stability of the economy,” Kershaw said. “You had a lot of situations where people were still living with their parents or not buying a home when they otherwise would have.” Small and downtown Even as the economy has turned upward, the trend to rent, and in particular to rent downtown, has continued to increase, which is how Elm Grove Companies came to envision the Flats on Hanover Commons in Manchester. When complete — ideally in a year’s time — they will be 32 rental micro apartments, 300 to 400 square feet, complete with a common area with free wifi, cafe, gym, rentable office space and built-in and dual-purpose features like pull-out beds. “There are a lot of examples of successful implementation in other communities. We primarily looked at the models that were implemented in Providence, R.I., and the things that had been implemented on the West Coast, New York and overseas,” Kershaw said. “It’s not just small for the sake of small. It’s small but living efficiently. … I think the way people think has changed fundamentally. … Smaller and more efficient is chic. Something like that was small and cramped 10 years ago.” Another somewhat recent development in Manchester are the Lofts at Mill No. 1, located in the millyard and developed by Brady Sullivan Properties. “It brings people downtown and it connects workers,” said Ben Kelley, who works for Brady Sullivan and is also an independent developer in Concord. High quality Ben Kelley and his wife, Karina Kelley, have been flipping and restoring multi-family units in Concord, transforming them into places they feel are attractive to young professionals, whom they understand well — they’re millennials themselves. Their apartments have bike storage, solid wood
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boxed cabinets, granite countertops, bamboo flooring and European designs. Right now, they lease 16 to 18 units, which generally fill up quickly. “If you look at millennials, the stats are, people are buying houses later and later in life. Our generation — and even baby boomers — don’t want the massive house. They want access to downtown shops and amenities. … But that doesn’t mean they don’t want a quality home,” Ben Kelley said. Other examples to bring more market-rate housing to Concord include the Endicott Hotel apartments (opened in 2013 by CATCH Neighborhood Housing) and the Vegas Block Apartments building (purchased by Remi Hinxhia, the building is being restored, with top floors that will become residential market-rate housing). High demand Demand in Concord was evident, Concord City Councilman Byron Champlin said, when those market-rate Endicott Hotel units — formerly subsidized housing — went quickly. Demand is high in Nashua as well, said Tom Galligani, economic development director for the city, but until recently, supply was low. The biggest recent project was the Apartments at Cotton Mill, with 109 units and a variety of floorplans that showcase exposed wood beams, spiral staircases, uncovered brick walls and loft-style living. Just this month, Brady Sullivan Properties also purchased an empty 310,000-square-foot 19th-century mill building on Franklin Street, with plans for residential redevelopment. Smaller developers, said Galligani, have been surprised at how quickly they’ve been able to fill their buildings with tenants, and at how high they’ve been able to rent. Now that word’s getting around about the need, he expects even more downtown housing developers to bite. “Developers and investors need to respond to the market demand, and they can only do that if they know the demand exists,” Galligani said. Challenges In Concord, there’s a lot of empty space in the upper stories of Main Street buildings, perfect for residential housing. The problem is that owners aren’t budging. “Many of the downtown properties are … owned by a small number of landlords. And some of these folks downtown don’t have an incentive or inclination to convert some of the former commercial spaces in their upper stories to create a residential space,” Champlin said. Added Ben Kelley, “For me, that’s the biggest [obstacle]. Not access to capital, but finding the next deal, and a deal that makes sense.” Downtown Concord If more and more people are wanting to live in — or even just work in, or visit — New Hampshire’s biggest downtowns, it only makes sense that they also want their downtowns to be, well, nice. Portsmouth is one example of how a more walkable place will draw people, and Concord’s Main Street Project mirrors that idea, with the final phase scheduled to be finished in October 2016. The city has made room for a little more culture, from the new opera company, Piccola Opera, to 15
expansions at the Concord Arts Market, Gibson’s Bookstore, Double Midnight Comics and Runner’s Alley on Main Street. It also has organizations like Intown Concord, which organizes downtown events such as the Market Days Festival, Midnight Merriment, the Halloween Howl and the Upstairs, Downtown Walking Tour, and Creative Concord Committee, which works to strategize and maximize the creative capital of the greater Concord area. Downtown Nashua That’s the idea in Nashua, too. Galligani expects the development of Broad Street Parkway, a “new front door to Nashua” by Exit 6, will improve access to the city. It also helps that groups like City Arts Nashua and Positive Street Art are making a constant effort to spruce up the walkable parts of downtown with mural and sculptural art. “People are less interested in driving. Less interested in owning a car. They’re more interested in spending money on experiences. We’ve seen those trends nationally. They’re more interested in finding more walkable stuff to do, and finding more interesting ways to spend their time,” Galligani said. Nashua has its own downtown-focused organization. The Great American Downtown, headed by Paul Shea, tries to build economic and cultural vibrancy via events (like the Nashua Stroll, the Taste of Downtown, the Farmers Market) and communication about the fun things to do downtown, which Shea said has been increasing — the newsletter the organization sends out has become biweekly, and its tweets and Facebook posts have become more regular too. Downtown Manchester Manchester’s got Intown Manchester, the Palace Theatre and numerous arts and business organizations (the Currier, Studio 550, Dancing Lion Chocolate, New Hampshire Institute of Art) putting in effort to make the city a better place through arts, culture and community activities. Kershaw believes the next step is to define neighborhoods. He and others are trying to brand the Hanover Street corridor, which is in his opinion one of Manchester’s greatest cultural assets. “We’re trying to work with Intown Manchester to extend the banner program through the Hanover corridor,” Kershaw said. “Part of having new areas of town grow is really giving them a sense of place and defining neighborhoods. I used to live in Manhattan, for example, and there are all these little neighborhoods, each of which has [its] own personality or culture.” Kershaw referenced a 2006 study, the Hilliard Study, which reports that defining a cultural district could be a good economic driver. Leadership programs Kershaw thinks some of the most valuable assets of New Hampshire’s changing cities are programs like Leadership New Hampshire, a year-long educational program, and also regional leadership programs, like Leadership Greater Concord, Leadership Greater Manchester, Leadership Nashua, Leadership Lakes Region, etc. “I went through Leadership Greater Manchester,” Kershaw said. “My thought is, it’s something that really helps to … solidify in someone’s mind that, yeah, they want to be a leader in the town. Because you have all these connections, and you start to grow your networks.” 16
Added Champlin, who went through Leadership New Hampshire, “It certainly gave me validation and a network of people who I could always turn to and rely on. … Whether or not someone stays in New Hampshire — there are a multitude of factors. But leadership programs help ground young professionals. They help create relationships in the community … and they also create, I’ll use Robert Putnam’s term: social capital.”
Live Free and Start One way to get young people to stay here is to convince them that New Hampshire is the best place to start their company. Locally, and statewide, there’s been a lot of effort to take away the obstacles and create ecosystems that support entrepreneurs. One of the biggest and most recent is the Live Free and Start initiative, a joint effort between the governor’s office, the Business Finance Authority and the Department of Resources and Economic Development. Only a year in existence, Live Free and Start already has a website that connects puzzle pieces for entrepreneurs — here you’ll find local, inspiring pioneer stories, an in-depth calendar of business-related events and opportunities like start-up challenges (including MYPN’s start-up challenge, created in 2008, aimed to connect entrepreneurs and social innovators with seed capital and services), accelerator courses and information about local incubators who can help. There’s also a section with funding ideas, from crowdfunding to angel donors to grants. “We tried hard to look at the problems, the barriers to growth,” said Liz Gray, director of entrepreneurship at the Business Finance Authority. “We are one growing piece of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We would like to play our part by trying to spread the word about the opportunities. … To make sure grads at UNH or Dartmouth, or any greater higher institution, know that hey, there is a place where you can be part of a very supportive and very connected ecosystem. You can be a big fish in a small pond.” Alpha Loft Also causing commotion in the start-up community are the state’s many growing incubators and coworking spaces. In Manchester, the biggest presence is the Alpha Loft. (Formerly abiHub, it bought the Alpha Loft location in Portsmouth and Durham about a year ago; the Manchester office decided to change its name too because it was easier to say.) By combining, “We’ve created an organization that cuts across the southern part of the state,” said CEO Mark Kaplan. There are workshops, accelerator programs and opportunities for business expertise and office space, and its members work alongside other invigorated, passionate entrepreneurs. “We have built a very strong network of successful entrepreneurs and people with functional expertise who were willing to get involved with us and provide advice and mentorship to new startups,” Kaplan said. “I think one of the important things we’re doing is taking advantage of the network of New Hampshire people in the community who are willing to give back.” Game Assembly In its Manchester office just three months is Game Assembly, a video game development community that aims to build a game industry in the state by growing New Hampshire game studios (the biggest ones in the company are Skymap Games, Robot Loves Kitty and Retro Affect), retaining state talent (there are already some SNHU and NHTI interns — and teachers from those schools 17
who are active here) and educating in game development. Co-creators Neal Laurenza and Dave Carrigg started it because they were tired of seeing New Hampshire game developers move, mostly to Massachusetts, but it was hard to blame them; Carrigg actually was a member of a Cambridge gaming community very similar to that at Game Assembly. He commuted back and forth because it was worth it. “When you’re working at home, you don’t have a lot of interaction between other developers,” Carrigg said. “Whereas working in an office like this, you can just turn to someone and say, ‘What do you think of this?’” The space builds camaraderie, and seeing others work provides inspiration. Finding members was easy. In New Hampshire, there were no video game companies hiring at the rate New Hampshire was producing graduates in the field, and many of those who could have started their own companies had few opportunities to learn directly, from someone in the industry, how to do it. “I’ve had students who should have formed their own studios. No question,” said Gregory Walek, professor of animation and graphic game programming at NHTI, meaning these students had excellent school projects that could have been turned into games. “But now we can mentor them to build their studio. … It’s one thing to do student work. To get them into the marketplace is another step. A huge step.” Work Nest In Concord, there’s lots of commotion about Ben and Karina Kelley’s brand-new Work Nest, which has an open house Aug. 27. The Kelleys hope the coworking space will find its niche not just among the business or tech community, but also in the arts — that it will become a home for artists, writers or people who work remotely or from home. Membership is like at a gym, and the plan is to work with community organizations to build programming. MakeIt Labs And in Nashua, it’s all about the MakeIt Labs. Around since 2011, it’s a makerspace whose members seek to expand into a new building three times the size with the help of $312,000 in tax credits from the Community Development Finance Authority. Right now the space is a gigantic, 6,000-square-foot warehouse/workshop filled with tools and equipment — for metalworking, welding, machining, automotive, carpentry, electronics, laser cutting, 3-D printing, programming, etc. — that its 110 members have 24/7 access to. When the nonprofit moves to its new location, its identity will change a bit; added to the mix will be a kitchen, rentable office space, conference rooms, public space — everything that doesn’t make noise or dust, said MakeIt Labs president Adam Shrey. Lots of renovations are needed and these depend on how fast they can sell the tax credits, but Shrey would love to move in by the MakeIt Labs October Halloween party. “The main point of the grant … is to create this coworking place, so people can come here and actually work remotely from their job. Or if they want to start a business and want an inexpensive space with a lot of amenities. Hopefully a few years down the line, we can have a technology incubator set up,” he said. (Though unlike at Alpha Loft, their expertise would be more techy, less business-y.) “But our number one resource is the people we have there. … There are people who have tons of experience in the field who will happily lend advice.”
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Families flock to Nashua library event The Nashua Telegraph Friday, August 28, 2015 By TINA FORBES, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1069842-469/families-flock-to-nashua-library-event.html Thousands of Nashua families packed Nashua Public Library in a line that stretched nearly to Main Street Thursday night for the Nashua Goes Back to School celebration. The line began forming 90 minutes before the event opened at 5 p.m. It's a party Superintendent Mark Conrad never misses. "It's a wonderful event. It's so exciting to see children reuniting with their principals," said Conrad. Wearing purple, blue and silver mardi gras beads to represent each high school, Conrad stood in the library's children's room where administrators from all 17 district schools waited to greet families. Right when the doors opened, parents and students flooded into the room and flocked to their school's table to catch up with principals and receive a bag of school supplies. "It's such an exciting and happy environment. It sets the tone for a great school year," Conrad said. The annual event has kicked off the fall semester for more than a decade. Hosted by the city and the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce at the Nashua Public Library, the event invites all Nashua students and families to pick up supplies, hang out, grab a snow cone and get to know more about local businesses and agencies. Dozens of groups set up on Library Plaza to share information on their services, including the Youth Council, Triangle Credit Union, the Nashua Community Music School and the Adult Learning Center. Police Athletic League Executive Director Shaun Nelson has been coming to the event for seven years. "It's a reunion of sorts, because so many kids come out to the event. We reconnect with them, and find out who's excited for school; and who might not be so excited," he said. "It's two hours of organized chaos. It's a lot of fun." DJ Bernie from Perfect Entertainment entertained the crowd, organizing dances to popular tunes and inviting the most enthusiastic kids on stage to show off their skills. School board members, aldermen and mayoral candidates were at the library celebrating the event as well. Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja, Ward 8 Alderwoman and key organizer of the event, came on stage to greet families and thank members of the community for supporting the event celebrating the start of another school year. Melizzi-Golja said many thanks are owed to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, whose members packed 1,500 "goodie bags" full of school supplies for students, which were distributed by school principals. 19
"We couldn't do it without them," she said. Mayor Lozeau was not able to attend, but sent a letter praising the event organizers, particularly George Katis of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and Nashua Wallpaper Company. Katis has supported the celebration since its inception, raising more than $10,000 this year toward the purchase of school supplies. The Lions Club was set up in the library to offer eye-screenings, and the City of Nashua Public Health and Community Services had free immunizations available for students. Nashua Goes Back to School is supported every year through the effort of businesses and local organizations. Donors include Eaton & Berube Insurance Agency, Firehouse Subs, Hirsch & Company, Tamposi Law Group, Harvey Construction, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Nashua Teachers Union. Also behind the event; the Lannan Company, Chick Beaulieu, Inc., Bauch Articulating Papers, The Ted Williams Museum, The Nash Foundation, Oracle, Enterprise Bank, Gate City Electric, Nashua Wallpaper Company, Stellos Electric Contract Inc., Service Credit Union, Sunnyside Acura and Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare.
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Hassan signs transit bills into law The Nashua Telegraph Friday, August 28, 2015 By CHRIS GAROFOLO, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1069841-469/hassan-signs-transit-bills-into-law.html NASHUA - Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said she loses sleep over infrastructure problems like the 14-foot wide sinkhole that closed portions of Interstate 93 in Concord last week. Alternative modes of transportation like an expanded, modern passenger rail system, she said, would help her and other city leaders sleep a little more soundly. "We need walkers and bikers and cars and buses and trains and planes and all those things, and New Hampshire in the 21st century shouldn't be left behind," she said. "And the one thing that we're really lacking that we can make happen by continuing to work together and getting excited over our little successes is rail." Lozeau joined Gov. Maggie Hassan and multiple transit and commerce officials at Nashua City Hall Thursday morning for a ceremonial signing of two bills designed to push the state closer to extending a commuter rail line from Massachusetts to Nashua and farther the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Senate Bill 63 amends the language for the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority to make the agency more efficient and more appealing for grants while Senate Bill 88 established a committee to study public-private partnerships for intermodal transportation projects. Hassan said the $4 million included in her capital budget for an environmental and engineering assessment related to commuter rail was denied by a Republican-led Legislature, but the newest measures are a step in the right direction because they improve the possibility of expanding transit options critical to the state's future. "A modern transportation infrastructure is so essential to the success of New Hampshire's people and businesses and encouraging long-term economic growth, which is what we all want to stay focused on," Hassan said. Michael Izbicki, chairman of the Rail Authority, said the new statutes represent an important milestone in expanding rail along the capital corridor. "Along with helping NHRTA operate more efficiently, this legislation could help open the door for New Hampshire to seek out alternative funding sources for critical infrastructure improvements, 21
including rail," Izbicki added. "NHRTA, the state's two largest chambers of commerce, 68 percent of New Hampshire residents and a growing list of businesses all agree that we need to invest in the state's rail infrastructure, and this legislation gets us closer to that goal." While the highlight of Senate Bill 63 is the creation of an advisory board for the transit authority, it also streamlines its governing board structure to make it more manageable. Izbicki said the agency's previous governing committee will now become its advisory board. The new governing body is smaller, making it easier to get a consensus for project money and more attractive for federal funding. "One of the criteria for a funding agency or grant agency ... is to have a small governance board because they have experience working with large boards and nothing gets done. There's too many people," Izbicki said. "So what they recommended to us in the study phase is we take this 28member governance board, make that an advisory board and then set up a smaller governance board." Among those on the rail transit advisory board are the mayors of seven New Hampshire cities including Nashua, a representative from the Merrimack and Bedford municipal councils and designees from each of the nine regional planning commissions. The second bill establishes a legislative committee to identify potential revenue sources to fund passenger rail and other intermodal opportunities. With the possibility of new funding sources, advocates are optimistic they can shift the cost burden off taxpayers. "In a state with limited funds, these kind of partnerships will certainly benefit the state and allow us to do things that we would probably not be able to do," said state Sen. Bette Lasky, D-Nashua. Lasky was the prime sponsor for both measures. She said the goal of the second bill is to introduce future legislation to enable additional advances in public/private partnerships, which have become more viable across the country, providing a needed financing option for infrastructure improvements. One Denver project has $1 billion in private financing to construct three new commuter rail lines in the Colorado capital while the Virginia Department of Transportation is relying partially on private funding to redevelop 14 miles of lanes in the congested D.C. beltway. These types of partnerships carry a number of potential benefits, Izbicki said, like engaging private sector innovation to help drive down costs and sustain price certainty.
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While the growth of rail has received a fair amount of bipartisan support among lawmakers and businesses, fiscally conservative leaders say the state's infrastructure priorities must come before building a passenger rail line. Opponents argue the state is better served using transportation money on deteriorating roads and bridges or widening the interstate highways. Supporters, nevertheless, point to the New Hampshire Capitol Corridor Study that indicated a regional rail alternative running 73 miles from Boston to Concord - serving two stations in Nashua, one in downtown Manchester and one at the airport - would offer economic benefits with modest investments from the state, while acknowledging that progress is slow. "I've said before and I'm sure I will have to continue to say it, reaching our ultimate goal for this is a marathon, not a sprint," said Tracy Hatch, president of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, adding that the possibility of commuter rail coming to the city would serve as a significant economic driver for the corridor. "We're not going to do it overnight, but for every setback or disappointment we may see, we also have the opportunity to celebrate successes," she said. Lozeau said the rail project might move at a snail's pace, but it's moving. "There have been steps along the way that are getting us where we need to be, and in New Hampshire we have to show people that there is another way to think about things," she said.
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Kuster talks business with Nashua young professionals The Telegraph Wednesday, September 16, 2015 By CHRIS GAROFOLO, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1070788-469/kuster-talks-business-with-nashuayoung-professionals.html Federal lawmakers met with young professionals from Greater Nashua on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the "financial quicksand" of burdensome college debt for millennials and the generation's limited access to capital. More than a dozen youthful entrepreneurs sat around a table in the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce office discussing how Congress can help companies expand and help millennials - born between 1980 and 1995 - start a business despite the monetary hardships they face. The rising student loan debt has caused millennials to have lower homeownership and entrepreneurship rates than previous generations. In an effort to reverse the trend, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., and others have been discussing the challenges they face. Fellow U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a 34-year-old Democrat from California, said he still has $100,000 of debt from college. Swalwell serves as chairman of the 17-member Future Forum to focus on economic issues for millennials. "I hear from young people across the country that one significant barrier that stands in the way of a young person taking the risk to start a business is mounting student loan debt," he said. "The Future Forum is committed to taking action to reduce the burden of student loans and make it easier for young people to follow their entrepreneurial passions and help grow our economy." Millennials, he said, are held back because student loan debt makes them less financially secure, delaying when they start a family or purchase a home. "As a generation, in this point in our lives, we've started fewer businesses, and we believe and research shows - that a lot of that goes back to student loan debt," Swalwell said. "It's just a financial quicksand that young people are in."
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Swalwell and Kuster, who has two sons within the millennial generation, are supporting legislation that would allow students to refinance student loan debt. During the Nashua discussion, they heard about young professionals having to juggle work and school, as well as the perils of finding banks willing to invest capital in a first-time business startup that has little financial backing from the owner because that money is tied up in debts. Others cited the lack of affordable apartments and mass transportation in Nashua that may otherwise attract incoming job-seekers who will turn instead to Boston or Manchester. Fou Mahfuz, the third-generation business owner of Persian Rug Gallery, was shocked when he returned to New Hampshire after college to find so few millennials involved with the young professional movement. Unlike others in his age bracket, Mahfuz said his challenge is trying to keep his retail businesses going in an increasingly online world. Solid solutions were tough to come by, even from those living with sizable college debt every day, but the young professionals in the room recommended more training programs and businesses to offer incentives to help cover the cost of incoming employees' tuition. Kuster touted the success of the Small Business Development Center and growth programs that help the state's quietly increasing exporting business. PT United employee Quinn Worden, who grew up in nearby Tyngsborough, Mass., and returned to the region after school, praised the Small Business Development Center for providing the resources needed for young business leaders. Kuster also spoke of the return of New Hampshire's manufacturing sector and the goodpaying jobs the industry brings. The need for a four-year degree has been declining, and many facilities - including Nashua Community College - offer two-year programs that, upon completion, can lead to stable, good-paying jobs. "We're making great things - much more advanced technology, high-tech manufacturing, advanced manufacturing ... we're doing all kinds of incredible things," Kuster said. Chris Garofolo can be reached at 594-6465, cgarofolo@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_Chris.
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Nashua roundtable takes on student debt The Union Leader Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Kimberly Houghton, khoughton@newstote.com http://www.unionleader.com/Nashua_roundtable_takes_on_student_debt NASHUA — Student loan debt and access to start-up capital were the primary topics of discussion at Tuesday’s roundtable with state and national leaders. Congresswoman Annie Kuster hosted a group of young entrepreneurs from the Greater Nashua area to speak with Rep. Eric Swalwell, a congressman from California’s 15th District, about opportunities for millennial Americans. One of the biggest challenges facing today’s youth is the growing amount of student loan debt upon college graduation, according to Swalwell, who says he still owes $100,000. “It will follow you all the way to the grave,” said Swalwell, maintaining it is nearly impossible for graduates with $80,000 in college debt who are earning a median income to pay off their loans. America’s largest generation of millennials are being held back by loan debt and college tuition costs, he said, adding millennials owe a combined $1.3 trillion in student loan debt. Not only is it impacting financial security, but millennials are also the least entrepreneurial generation, delaying the purchases of homes and the start of families, according to Swalwell. Swalwell is working on legislation that will permit graduates to refinance their student loan debt. Kyle Coumas, a sales and marketing associate with Turn Cycle Solutions and a participant in Tuesday’s roundtable, said he graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with $30,000 in student loans. Although he would have liked to start his own business, Coumas said the large amount of debt hanging over his head was a huge deterrent. Kuster, who is helping to prepare legislation that will keep interest rates low and allow students to restructure and lower their rates and terms, says it is important to emphasize the options available to young people. While a four-year program may be feasible for some college students, a high-quality community college system where students can live at home and receive lower tuition rates for two years of schooling should not be ignored, according to Kuster. 26
Congresswoman Annie Kuster speaks with young entrepreneurs on Tuesday in Nashua at the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street. (Kimberly Houghton) Other issues facing young entrepreneurs is the challenge of assessing start-up capital. Tracy Hatch, president of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, said her organization is exploring the idea of starting an entrepreneurial site within Nashua’s Millyard that will have joint services and affordability for new and emerging businesses. Often, venture capitalists will give new companies office space in exchange for equity. This concept provides a type of synergy for like-minded individuals and inventors who can pursue funding and ideas together, explained Swalwell. Greta Johansson, district director of the Small Business Association, said her organization provides enhancements to New Hampshire lenders. Some lenders are more sensitive to younger startups and are willing to take a chance on them, said Johansson. “They are just sometimes harder to find,” she acknowledged. Kuster has spearheaded legislation, the Small Business Growth through Exports Act, geared to extend and expand the SBA’s STEP Grant Program helping New Hampshire small businesses export goods to new markets.
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Josh Levs kicks off state tour at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza on Wednesday
The Nashua Telegraph Thursday, September 17, 2015 By TINA FORBES, Staff Writer http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1070846-469/josh-levs-kicks-off-state-tour-at.html NASHUA - Veteran journalist and author Josh Levs is on a mission to advocate for fair family leave for both parents - a practice that, he said, benefits employees as well as employers. Levs kicked off a New Hampshire tour Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua, organized by the New Hampshire Women's Foundation and the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. Levs, an investigative journalist and father of three, wrote a book about the experience of working parents in the U.S. called "All In: How Our Work First Culture Fails Dads, Families and Businesses - And How We Can Fix It Together." "Becoming a parent is dramatic, but in our case, it was very dramatic," said Levs, explaining how his firstborn son required immediate heart surgery. His second son was born not breathing, but survived, and his daughter was born premature in 2013. "The policy I was under allowed 10 weeks for any parent except the man who impregnates his wife," Levs said. A journalist for CNN, Levs asked the organization's parent company, Time Warner, for the 10-week parental leave in 2013 to care for his daughter and wife and was denied. Mothers and fathers of adopted children benefit from the policy, but it did not cover his situation, which prompted him to take action. In 2013, he filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claim for gender discrimination against Time Warner. After an outpouring of support, the company changed its policy on family leave in 2015. "More and more people are looking for places to live to balance life and work," he said, noting that people leave higher-paying jobs for more flexible jobs to spend time with their families. Employers can avoid the high cost of employee turnover, while improving morale and employee loyalty by offering family leave for parents, he said.
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Former New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli, and current President and CEO of the New Hampshire Women's Foundation, spoke to the importance of advocating for fair family leave for both parents. "Our mission is to provide equality for New Hampshire women and girls," said Norelli, "Building family friendly workplaces is critical for achieving that vision." With New Hampshire a major stop for the 2016 presidential candidates, New Hampshire Women's Foundation members hope the issue of parental leave can become a topic of discussion. "We're very much looking forward to women and men in all walks of life joining this conversation," Norelli said. "Our goal today is to get that conversation started." The event Wednesday also featured a panel of speakers discussing their experiences with family leave in New Hampshire. Panelists included Jeff Feingold, editor of New Hampshire Business Review; Michelle Gray, founder and president of HR Synergy; and Katie Kiernan Marble, an employment attorney and owner of Marble Employment Law. Levs was scheduled for another talk in Manchester Wednesday night at St. Anselm College, as well as visits to Concord and Exeter on Thursday, Sept. 17, sponsored by the New Hampshire Women's Foundation. His book "All In" is available at JoshLevs.com. Tina Forbes can be reached at 594- 6402, tforbes@nashuatelegraph. com or @Telegraph_TinaF.
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Former CNN correspondent urges paid family leave Josh Levs, a journalist, is traveling throughout New Hampshire urging officials to consider paid family leave. Thursday, September 17, 2015 Union Leader By KIMBERLY HOUGHTON, Union Leader Correspondent http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?avis=UL&date=20150917&category=NE WS02&lopenr=150919269&Ref=AR&source=RSS&template=printart NASHUA — Creating a family-friendly workplace is all about the human connection and a little bit of innovation, according to Josh Levs, a journalist and father encouraging paid family leave across the Granite State and the rest of the nation. Levs, who took legal action against CNN and Turner Broadcasting when he was unable to care for his prematurely born daughter and sick wife because of a dated work policy, is now calling on elected officials to support paid family leave. Teaming up with the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, Levs spoke to business owners on Wednesday in Nashua about the importance of making paid family leave a key issue in the presidential primary. There are men across the country letting go of quality, high-paying jobs for lower-paying positions that have more flexibility and allow them to care for their families, according to Levs. Under his previous work policy, Levs said only two weeks of paid leave was offered to biological fathers. “It didn’t make sense,” said Levs, adding a series of medical problems within his family prompted him to seek legal action against CNN and Turner Broadcasting where he worked as a former CNN correspondent. “I was fighting for a better company,” he said. A settlement was recently reached, and the company’s paid parental leave policy has since been adjusted. According to Levs, more companies should be considering policy changes that enable more flexible schedules, telecommuting opportunities, onsite child care and paid family leave. “When you take away options for dad, it also takes away options for mom,” said Levs, explaining paid family leave and other family friendly workplace initiatives will result in happier employees, more productive workers and the ability to attract and retain top-notch employees. Companies need to be revolutionizing their policies to accommodate the new age dad and new age families with males who are taking more interest in caring for their children and spouses, he said. Paid leave currently exists in three states, according to Levs, who is encouraging other states to consider the option. 30
“The paid family leave system is having a positive effect on business,” he said, noting businesses that implement paid family leave are managing to hold onto vital employees rather than spending unnecessary funds training new workers that are not yet as qualified. Employers must be having conversations with their employees about these matters, to prove that they value their workers and want to remain loyal to them, explained Levs. Some small businesses are already creating a work culture that allows workers to take care of their families, and more companies need to be doing the same, said Levs, author of “All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families and Businesses — And How We Can Fix It Together.” “Every week, we’re hearing news about large and small companies putting more emphasis on becoming a more family friendly workplace,” said Terie Norelli, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation. “The practices include, but are not limited to flextime, accommodating nursing mothers and paid leave.” Norelli said it is important to get the conversation started in New Hampshire, and allow Granite State businesses that are already implementing new policies to share their success stories with other businesses in New Hampshire. Many companies do not understand the value of having at least one parent at home, according to Jeff Feingold, a former stay-at-home dad who had the privilege of freelancing for NHPR while also taking care of his children when they were younger. The stereotype that men should be at work while women stay at home still exists in some circles, according to Feingold, who said that concept needs to be shattered. khoughton@newstote.com
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