WMWV – 93.5

Cynthia’s Challenge 24 Hour ski-a-thon has been cancelled due to concerns of the spread of COVID-19. Organizers posted the announcement saying it wouldn’t be appropriate to hold the event when the global priority is containing the new virus. They went on to say that all registration fees will be refunded as well as deposits for accommodations related to the event. Marketing Coordinator Aly Moore says that the Cynthia’s Challenge Board of Directors will be meeting this afternoon to review their options for alternative fundraising efforts and that funds raised will continue to go towards the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van for the Bunnell family.

Separately, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says the state now has it’s sixth official case of the virus. The individual is an adult male from Rockingham county who traveled to multiple countries in Europe. Authorities say he self-quarantined himself after returning from Europe and notified his healthcare provider when he began to develop symptoms.

Whether you talk to industry experts or regular listeners, most people asked will tell you that there’s something special about the sound of WMWV. That musical selection and rotation has been the work of a man named Mark Johnson since 1993. Mark says, “My heart was always about the music.” Normally music selection in modern radio is the result of studied charts tracking the popularity of songs in different genres. For Mark Johnson it was a passion that involved personally listening to submissions and using his own intuition to make judgements about what worked or didn’t with the sound of the station. Johnson says the music was his favorite part of the job. In a Mt. Washington Radio exclusive interview, I asked Mark if he had anything to say to the listeners. Mark said, “Thank you for listening to us all these years, all the very kind comments about, you know, what we do. Maybe even comments from people that didn’t like certain things. It’s all good. You know- this valley is amazing. I’m so proud to live here.” Mark Johnson will be leaving Mt. Washington Radio Group this Friday.

Listen to the full interview:

Click here if audio fails.

A massive cross-border initiative involving dozens of law enforcement agencies between Carroll County and the State of Maine concluded several months of investigations Thursday by arresting 35 individuals for a myriad of charges from distributing drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana to destruction of evidence, child abuse, theft, and more. Official arrests released include people from Conway, N. Conway, Fryeburg, Brownfield, Ossipee, Berlin, Tamworth, Tuftonboro, Jackson, Shapleigh, Laconia, Porter, Milton, Rochester, Bartlett, and Sebago. Authorities say the effort isn’t over and that law enforcement agents from town, county, state, and federal agencies are still working on arresting more individuals as they move forward with prosecution.

Memorial Hospital and White Mountain Community Health Center both say they are prepared for COVID-19. The medical centers are following recommendations by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Health Alert Network and are reminding patients to call them if they are experiencing any form of concerning illness. White Mountain Community Health Center says they can assess patients by phone and provide help in making informed decisions without putting other patients in risk. Memorial Hospital says they’ve been following updates from New Hampshire’s DHHS since January regarding the virus and have built questions into their visitor registration process to assess the likeliness of possible cases.

New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services says COVID-19, and all respiratory illnesses, are most commonly spread through respiratory droplets. They say residents should take the same precautions as those recommended to prevent the spread of influenza:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e. social distancing)
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid being within 6 feet (close contact) of a person who is sick
• Avoid sharing drinks, smoking/vaping devices, or other utensils or objects that may transmit saliva
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Memorial Hospital NH is a part of the MaineHealth network who have published an informational page on their website advising concerned residents about the virus.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health has been at the center of New Hampshire’s part of the COVID-19 outbreak. One of their employees had traveled to Italy where they contracted the virus. Even though they had reported themselves after developing symptoms, they broke quarantine after testing positive for the virus by going to a social event at White River Junction, Vermont. Since then another person who was in contact with that man has tested positive for the virus and a fellow attendee to the event has reported symptoms and is being tested. Both are under self-quarantine. Dartmouth-Hitchcock health has released two videos addressing the issue. The second video speaks to when it’s appropriate to wear a mask or not. That can be seen below:

See the official New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services page on COVID-19 here.

The Mt. Washington Valley Skating Club participated in two skating competitions last month and say they took home the gold as well as other medals. The Snowflake Skate was held in Falmouth, Maine and a number of members of the club received various awards for their Basic Level team, Freeskate level team, individual competitions, and individual freeskate competitions. The club says they also participated in the Skate Your Heart Out competition in Hallowell, Maine where members of the club again placed in the top tiers of the various categories. The Mt. Washington Valley Skating Club is a part of the US Figure Skating Association that teaches all ages and abilities in skating at the Ham Arena in Conway.

The Snowflake Skate

Gold Medal, Basic Level Team Event – Amelia Barboza, Candice Pickering, and Holly Pierce

Gold Medal, Freeskate Level Team Event – Georgia Knowles, Jordan Goldblatt, Julia Silvia, Olivia and Patrick Sandahl

Gold Medal, Basic 2 with music – Candice Pickering

Silver Medal, Basic 2 with music – Amelia Barboza

Bronze Medal, Basic 3 with music – Holly Pierce

Fourth Place, Pre-Freeskate with music – Georgia Knowles

Fourth Place, Freeskate 1 with music – Patrick Sandahl

Silver Medal, Freeskate 2 with music – Olivia Sandahl

Bronze Medal, Freeskate 2 with music – Julia Silvia

Fourth Place, Freeskate 2 with music – Jordan Goldblatt

Gold Medal, Adult Pre-Bronze Pattern Solo Dance – Jeni Wilder

Gold Medal, Basic 6 with music – Sativa Hoeflich

Skate Your Heart Out

Gold, Basic Level Team – Amelia Barboza, Candice Pickering, and Holly Pierce

Fourth, Freeskate Level Team – Georgia Knowles, Che Che Stoddard, and Patrick Sandahl

Fourth, Freeskate Level Team – Jordan Goldblatt, Julia Silvia, and Olivia Sandahl

Gold, Basic 2 with music – Candice Pickering

Silver, Basic 2 with music – Amelia Barboza

Bronze, Basic 3 with music – Holly Pierce

Gold, Basic 6 Compulsory – Sativa Hoeflich

Gold, Basic 6 Showcase – Sativa Hoeflich

Silver, Basic 6 with music – Sativa Hoeflich

Bronze, Pre-Freeskate with music – Georgia Knowles

Silver, Freeskate 1 with music – Patrick Sandahl

Silver, Freeskate 2 with music – Julia Silvia

Bronze, Freeskate 2 with music – Olivia Sandahl

Bronze, Freeskate 2 with music – Che Che Stoddard

Fourth, Freeskate 2 with music – Jordan Goldblatt

Gold, Adult Bronze Showcast – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Adult Pre-Bronze Solo Dance Pattern – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Adult Bronze Compulsory – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Pre-Pre Moves – Nina Stoddard

Gold, Adult 4 with music – Nina Stoddard