News Analysis
UPDATED at 7:45 p.m.
By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
A woman died in a tent outside Families in Transition in Manchester on Christmas Day and likely we would have never heard about it except that news reporter/photographer Jeffrey Hastings posted a story about it.
The usual officials who put out press releases on unattended deaths – Attorney General John Formella and Manchester police were mum. Michael Garrity, Formella’s spokesman said this wasn’t their case.
A woman gave birth in the woods of Manchester in freezing temperatures on Monday just after midnight and we likely wouldn’t know about that except police arrested the mother, Alexandra Eckersley. No word on how either mother or baby are doing.
Patch.com’s Tony Schinella reported that Alexandra Eckersley is the adoptive daughter of Dennis Eckersley, the Boston Red Sox great, and his second wife, Nancy.
“‘Allie,’ as she was known in Concord’s homeless community, had been camping in the capital region from 2018 until a couple of months ago…She has been arrested repeatedly in Concord since February 2018, not long after moving out of her parent’s home in Massachusetts. Alexandra Eckersley has been arrested on drug possession, theft, failure to appear, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, disposal of human waste charges, and bench warrants,” Schinella wrote.
Oh well, these are only two women and a newborn. Two homeless women and a newborn at that. Not a lot of political clout there.
Attempts to reach Mayor Joyce Craig and Gov. Chris Sununu for comment about the death were unsuccessful Monday.
They often point at each other as the reason the homeless crisis only gets worse.
Just last week Sununu said how great New Hampshire does when it comes to the homeless problem compared to other states.
Craig released a statement about the woman who gave birth:
“I want to thank the Manchester Police and Fire Departments as well as American Medical Response (AMR) for ensuring this child was recovered safely. Without their life-saving actions, this situation could have ended much worse.
“In Manchester, numerous city departments and nonprofit organizations conduct outreach activities to assist and direct people living unhoused to the Families In Transition emergency shelter and the warming station at 1269 Cafe.
“Anyone struggling with mental health issues, substance use disorder, or homelessness across New Hampshire can contact 211 to connect to available services and sheltering,” Craig said.
On Monday, Sununu’s spokesman did not respond to InDepthNH.org’s questions. One question asked if some of the quarter billion dollar rainy day fund might be used to help bring people in from the cold.
On Christmas at 4:09 p.m. Hastings posted how Manchester police, fire and AMR ambulance responded to a call for an unresponsive person in a tent at around 11:25 a.m. outside Families in Transition and how a local funeral home took the woman, who is still unidentified, away.
On Monday, Manchester police didn’t provide an identification of the deceased woman and said only that the death doesn’t appear suspicious.
“The sidewalks around the Families In Transition shelter are the location where a large number of unhoused individuals have set up tents and make-shift shelters after being forced out of local parks by the City of Manchester. For several days wind, snow, and extremely low temperatures have been an added challenge for the people living in the encampment,” Hastings wrote on Christmas.
“Manchester has seen a growing homeless population and multiple deaths in the last two years. Dozens of small encampments have been established in wooded areas, doorways of businesses, and most recently the bus station on Canal Street.
“Mayor Craig recently said the issues at the shelter are caused by the State Of New Hampshire. A memo was also recently distributed pointing to a Maine police department who drove a person to the shelter.
“The responsibility for a fire at an encampment under the 293 Bridge near Frontage Road was also said to be the responsibility of the State of New Hampshire,” Hastings wrote.
Woman Gives Birth
On Monday just after 2 p.m. the Manchester Fire Department released a press statement about the call at 12:30 a.m. for a premature birth.
The press release said they encountered a woman who said she had given birth prematurely in a wooded area near the baseball field adjacent to the West Side Arena in Manchester.
Firefighters and Manchester police searched for the newborn for an hour.
“The search was hampered by inconsistent information until it was learned the baby was located in a tent on the west side of the trestle that crosses the Piscataquag River at Electric Street. Crews located the newborn, who was found uncovered, on the floor of said tent.
“Resuscitation efforts were initiated and the infant was brought to the nearest emergency apparatus, Engine 6, where efforts were made to provide warmth and assist with breathing. This patient was transported to the Catholic Medical Center, in Manchester, in Engine 6 with MFD and AMR personnel on board. The mother was transported in ALS2 to the Elliot Hospital,” the release said.
The Manchester Police news release said, “After nearly an hour, the mother revealed the true location of the baby and led officers to the area. There, officers located the baby who was treated by EMT’s and transported to a local hospital for treatment.”
Alexandra Eckersley, 26, was arrested on an unrelated warrant out of Concord District Court for Endangering the Welfare of a Child and was subsequently charged with Felony – Reckless Conduct in connection with this recent incident, according to the Manchester police news release.
Families in Transition didn’t directly respond to InDepthNH.org except to offer advice to people facing homelessness.
“If you are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness, please contact 211NH by dialing 2-1-1 or (866) 444-4211. 211 NH is a helpline that serves as the primary entry point for people experiencing a housing crisis (https://www.211nh.org/).
“If you are looking to connect with one of the following teams:
• Families in Transition Housing, please call (603) 641-9441 Ext. 257
• Families in Transition Food Pantry, please call (603) 641-9441 Ext. 221
• Willows Substance Use Treatment or Recovery Housing, please call (603) 641-9441 Ext. 401
• Outfitters Thrift Store, please call (603) 641-9441 Ext. 327
“Families in Transition makes every effort to respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. We want to ensure you receive the help you need in the most efficient manner possible.
“Due to a high volume of emails, we do not respond to requests for housing or services from this inbox. In order to reach a team member, we ask that you contact the appropriate program directly by calling one of the phone numbers and extensions above.
A note on Outfitters Thrift Store and Clothing/Household Donations
Unfortunately, we do not accept furniture donations or do any kind of pickups. You can learn more about accepted items and donation locations and times on our website at: fitnh.org/outfitters.”