By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
NASHUA – Allen Aldenberg of Manchester was unanimously confirmed as acting director of the Office of Child Advocate through Oct 29.
The retired police chief of Manchester succeeds Cassandra Sanchez of Methuen, Mass.
The council met at Nashua Community College Wednesday as part of its summer “Road Show” regular meeting series in which each of the five councilors get a chance to host a meeting in their district.
This meeting was hosted by District 5 Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford, who showcased the institution and its innovative programs, which included tours of the campus.
Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, said while Aldenberg’s background is different than others for the role with most having a background in child services, she said she would support the 90-day nomination by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte because he responded well to her questions and concerns during an interview.
Liot Hill noted the legislature has reduced funding for the office and the state should not be surprised when problems emerge among institutions such as the Sununu Youth Services Center, formerly called the Youth Development Center or YDC.
Aldenberg will be paid at the rate of $135,272 annually, though his term is for three months.
Sanchez brought forward a complaint of abuse at the Sununu Center in March which the Attorney General investigated but found no abuse though he did say more training was needed for staff and suggested body worn cameras be used by staff.
Aldenberg is the “right person at the right time,” said Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester.
He said this is not just about protecting youths but to allow parents to have a spokesperson for the issues they have. It will be Aldenberg’s challenge, he said to keep the council informed while the state searches for a permanent replacement for Sanchez.
Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, said she also supported the governor’s nomination. She said Aldenberg brings a law enforcement background that will be based on evidence and oversight of child serving agencies.
After retiring from Manchester Police, Aldenberg worked briefly for the Easter Seals Military and Veterans Campus in Franklin. He is a brigadier general in the NH National Guard.
He comes to this job at a time of great stress at the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester where some of the most troubled youth in the state are being held and where both youths and staff are reportedly being victimized by violence as recently as this month.
At the meeting the council learned of a youth whose femur was broken July 17 and where a staffer had her teeth kicked in, a week later. Attorney General John Formella said because there is an investigation and criminal charges pending he could not go into detail in public about the incident.
The council was told that juvenile justice parole officers are being deployed because of a lack of staff due to injuries and that the state is in negotiations with employees who are out on leave.
Meanwhile, the state is hoping to close the facility and move to a more trauma informed environment on the campus of Hampstead Hospital. The council approved funding for furniture for the new facility and Commissioner of Health and Human Services Lori Weaver said the hope is to start moving the dozen or so individuals at the Sununu Center at the beginning of 2027.
Councilor Stephen said staff have been very responsive along with the Hillsborough County Attorney and that he wants safety for all at the facility. Weaver also said her department is working with the Department of Corrections to get body worn cameras for staff but noted it will take some time to train.
HOURS OF NURSING CARE RESTORED FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN
A small group of children who require care for life-threatening health issues who lost nursing service hours in current weeks because of managed care organization contractors who are facing cuts, have been restored, Commissioner of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Weaver confirmed.
They did so after pressure from Henry Lipman, who directs the state’s Medicaid Services, councilors were told.
Gov. Ayotte said what the managed care organizations did was “completely unacceptable. These are our most vulnerable,” she said.
There are 160 families eligible and councilors heard from at least eight of those families who saw nursing care go in some cases from 60 hours a week to zero.
“It is truly disturbing,” said Councilor Stevens, though she thanked the state for restoring the nursing care. She said the state needs to meet its obligations to these individuals.
Councilor Liot Hill said she also heard from these families and it was shameful, though she said the state acted promptly.
$2 MILLION IN GO-NORTH GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE
Planning grants of $50,000 each totaling $2 million for 40 municipalities, critical access hospitals, county facilities or rural dental providers are now up for grabs after the council approved a template for funding from the Governor’s Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health or GO-NORTH https://www.gonorth.nh.gov/.
Donnalee Lozeau, the new director of the program, said there will be a presentation for municipalities coming up on how to apply and there has been outreach to rural dentals.
On August 19, the governor said there will be an update to the council at its meeting on where things stand with GO-NORTH when the council meets.
The website will be updated to help organizations learn how they can get in on the funds. The state was awarded $204 million for 2026 to expand access to rural and innovative health care ideas and provided the state meets federal metrics and guidelines, that will be available for the next five years.
Councilor Stephen said he does not want to see a lot of money going to consultants but direct action “and less planning,” though he said he understands some templates like this are required. He said he also would like the council to know who is getting the funding.
“Are communities working together?” he said, noting he has three or four towns in his district which are working together on Emergency Medical Service issues.
There are concerns among some counselors that the money will go to the 13 cities rather than rural areas.
Ayotte said there is an opportunity here for better health outcomes across the state but the priority is for rural areas which often have more challenges and said that she is thankful the federal funds are being distributed to the states who know their districts and concerns.
COMMISSION RATES FOR REAL ESTATE DEBATED
Councilor Stephen, questioned why Department of Transportation land sales rates vary and was told it has to do with the amount of the sale cost but that the state is looking to change that in the coming days. On the agenda the council approved a handful of transactions which varied in commission rates from 5 to 6 percent.
David Rodrigue, commissioner of DOT said the change anticipated did not guarantee the commission rates will change.
OVERVIEW OF NASHUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Councilor Wheeler, who hosted the summer “RoadShow” meeting in his district Wednesday, welcomed all and talked about his family ties to Nashua Community College and the success his children have experienced through programs there.
Dr. James M. Keane president, also welcomed the council and state department commissioners and told them about the school including the manufacturing “boot camp,” its air traffic control program and the STEM renovation programs. He also talked about the partnerships with Honda and Mazda for its automotive program.
The college has 234,000 square feet and is located at 505 Amherst Street in Nashua and there are 1,023 face-to-face students and about 751 online and 285 hybrid. Many are part time students, Keane said.
There are programs in business, healthcare, auto, aviation, engineering and others.
Early college credit programs in the fall of 2026 include more than 4,000 this coming fall which is a great way for students to stay on for a year to earn an associates degree, he said.
About 80 percent of students are working, far higher than the average for a community college and more than 50 percent identify as having a hard time finding $500 if needed for an emergency car repair or some other need, Keane said.
Job placement rates are high with 91.6 percent finding employment after graduation in manufacturing and 88 percent in microelectronics and 76 percent in soldering.
A new associate degree in finance will begin this fall, he said and aviation has been one of the largest growth areas with only a few comparable accredited and certified programs in the nation.
Another program which is key to the community is early childhood education programs, he said. New congressional fundings will allow for a child care program on the campus.
COMMENDATIONS
State employees and volunteers who went to Washington, D.C. to be part of Great American State Fair were honored for their hard work showcasing the state’s history, beauty and valued industries in early July. New Hampshire was one of the few states that sent state employees, Ayotte said.
The staff was from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the volunteers were from the Granite State Ambassadors.
Also commended were Lisa Furman, coordinator of the early childhood education program at NHTI who helped secure a federal grant for almost $1 million and Professor Doug Mitchell, academic chair of the Aviation Program at NHTI. He also was credited with his leadership in securing a grant to expand opportunities in the aviation industry. A new FAA certified air traffic control program at the college is bringing new students and strengthening opportunities and he also was successful in securing almost $1 million for the program.
GRANTS TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE AND MICROENTERPRISE TRAINING
The council approved a $500,000 community development finance authority block grant to Cheshire County to support Keene Day Care Center at 88 Wood Street, Keene and $673,550 to the County of Grafton to support three organizations to provide microenterprise training and technical assistance direct grants. The latter will support small businesses through the Coos County Economic Development Council, Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN) and the Grafton County Economic Development programs.
VICTIM NOTIFICATION FUNDS APPROVED
The council approved $55,317.53 to allow victims of crime to know the whereabouts of their perpetrators through the Victims of Crime Act. The Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system provides real time information. The money is coming from federal sources.
The VINE system was down for some time and Councilor Stevens, was critical of the Corrections Department for violating that statutory obligation to victims.
AFFORDABLE UNITS PROPOSED FOR NASHUA REDUCED
The council approved a change to reduce the number of affordable housing units from 56 to 45 for Gateway at Exeter LLC of Nashua because the developer did not receive the tax credits they anticipated and the development would be at risk if it was not restructured said Lucy Lange, commissioner of the state Department of Business and Economic Affairs. She said added costs also jeopardized the use of the InvestNH Capital Grant.
Councilor Liot Hill, said it was “unfortunate” to lose 11 affordable units.
NEXT MEETING
The Executive Council will continue its summer “Road Show” with the next meeting being hosted by the governor at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway on Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.