On Wednesday May 7, the Federal Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration entered Phat Stuff, a store located at 84 Main St. in Keene, N.H. in search of evidence of the sale of synthetic drugs, such as synthetic marijuana.

The Associated Press noted those who were warranted included manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of synthetic drugs in 25 states.

According to the FreeKeene website, Phat Stuff “has not sold synthetic drugs since mid-2013.”

The store which sells smoking materials, hand blown glass and sexual entertainment material is owned by Panos Eliopoulos. According to a public post on Phat Stuff’s official Facebook account, Eliopoulos stated that he was traveling when the DEA presented the warrant and entered the store. The conclusion of the post said, “Believe me that this blindsided us as much as you, but this will only be used as motivation to rebuild bigger and better.” Despite the DEA raid, the store re-opened at 2 p.m. on May 9, 2014.

The building where this store has been leased is owned by Senator Anthony “Andy” Sanborn, according to The Keene Sentinel. On the topic of drugs like marijuana, Sanborn, the alleged building owner, spoke at a Keene State College press conference on February 12, 2014, as reported in an earlier issue of The Equinox, where he stated that he did not support House Bill 492; the legalization of marijuana with government regulation. “I’m not anti [marijuana] at all. I don’t believe government should be in charge of the legalization of marijuana. I don’t believe the government should be regulating it, wholesaling it, manufacturing it, distributing it, taxing it,” Sanborn said.

According a post from FreeKeene.com, the official website of the Free Keene movement, they have learned that Phat Stuff is planning to make the store bigger and better than before. A blog post on the site stated on May 9, 2014, “activists chalked on the sidewalk in front of Phat Stuff in protest of the DEA’s aggression and later gathered for a 420 in remembrance of lost liberties.”

The City of Keene banned the sale of synthetic marijuana in 2013. The Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure meeting minutes of the meeting where the ordinance was made on Sept. 11, 2014 stated, “The Ordinance applies to the corporate

limits of the City of Keene. After adoption, it would be ordinance violation for the compounds listed in the ordinance to be present in the city in any way that was necessary in order to provide the fullest enforcement possible by the Police Department.”

Pamela Bump can be contacted at pbump@keene-equinox.com

As the City of Keene rolls toward the construction of a new skatepark, young adults in the community agreed that it is time for skateboarders to have a safe spot in the community to practice and test their skills.

According to the Keene City Parks and Recreation website, the Keene Skate Park opened on Saturday, July 26, 1997.

The creation of the skate park was a 1 1/2 year effort which began when two youths wrote to the Keene City Council. Almost seven years later, others in the community have proposed plans for a newer, safer skate park to Keene’s City Council, Kyle Jarvis of The Keene Sentinel noted, “The capital improvement program identifies a new, 3,250-square foot skate park as a project for fiscal year 2015 at a cost of $162,500.”

Senior Joe Gallo explained that he used to skateboard, but now mostly longboards around Keene and the Keene State College campus.

Sam Lewis / Equinox Staff:
Talk of a new, safe skatepark in Keene is clarified by Kyle Jarvis of The Keene Sentinel who noted, ““The capital improvement program identifies a new, 3,250-square foot skate park as a project for fiscal year 2015 at a cost of $162,500.”

“I think that if they made a nice skatepark, it would probably bring together some of that crowd [of people who skateboard], I think it would be good because there’s a lot of skateboarders out there,” Gallo said.

KSC alumni Matt Evans, who graduated in 2013, said that he had used the original skatepark often.

Evans, a self-proclaimed skateboarder of more than ten years, said that he believed certain changes were in order to make a skatepark that was safer and better for users.

“It [the skate park and ramps] shouldn’t be made out of wood. That is hazardous,” Evans said.

He said that he believed the plans to make a safer skatepark were a “very good idea.” Evans added, “I’ve seen people who have fallen and gotten hurt from skating on terrible ramps.”

Evans explained that outside of the park, skateboarders face controversy when skating throughout the Keene area.

”I feel like people in Keene do view skating negatively — especially people who work for the city. They see the damage caused by street skating and damage done to the park first hand. But I think there will always be that stereotype pretty much anywhere you go. I think it’s unfair just because a few bad eggs ruin it for everyone else,” Evans said.

He continued, “Personally, I think the problem stems from the younger generations. I think they don’t realize that their actions have consequences.”

KSC sophomore Pat Lank similarly stated that a new skatepark would be beneficial for skaters in the community.

Although Lank said that he was mainly a longboarder he said he thought that Keene was not skateboard friendly and added, “The skatepark here is not very nice at all.”

Lank said he agreed with the community plans to build a new park and suggested various changes to make the new park safer and more accessible for skaters.

He said that he thinks the skatepark should have “a bowl, some more quarter-pipes and a better half pipe.”

Lank added that he thinks those creating or upgrading the skatepark should make sure safety concerns, like risen nails, and rough edges on ramps and half-pipes are fixed.  He continued that he would like to see more open space in the park, or even a bigger park.

In addition, Lank further explained that a new skatepark would allow skateboarders more skating equipment than they could find in the City of Keene.

“When you’re using the buildings and the equipment that’s around you and people don’t allow you to use it  — well, it makes skating not really that fun. The entire community around Keene seems to not want skaters riding around and yelling at them. It’s not friendly towards skaters,” Lank said.

“I think, if they are going to spend the money on a new skate park they should do it right and not cut corners. Wooden parks don’t work in New England as you can tell for the Keene skatepark,” Evans said.

Evans continued, “ They need to make an all concrete park with both transitional and street course elements. The reason why skaters venture out of the park is to get variety. If the city incorporates street elements, like ledges, stair sets, handrails along with half pipes, quarter pipes and mini-ramps. It will keep the skaters in the park and out of downtown Keene.”

Pamela Bump can be contacted at pbump@keene-equinox.com

Search for drug abuse prevention continues

As the use, abuse and death rates relating to drugs like heroin gain greater concern throughout New England, states are enabling more life-saving strategies.

N.H. Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Thomas Andrew, stated drug deaths in the state of N.H. had a 300 percent increase since he entered his position in 1997.

Andrew explained this dramatic increase occurred some time between 2001 and 2009. Andrew said, “We’ve continued to see increases in drug death. We had two-hundred drug deaths in 2011, and I think, in 2013, we had about one-hundred-and-ninety-five. The [prescription] opiates are still the leading class of drugs that are responsible for the drug death — but heroin, illicit street heroin — has emerged as the trend-setter now, instead of prescription drugs.”

Andrew said this activity is seen throughout N.H. but, “The biggest issue appears to be this band-like swath that goes from Keene, in the west, across the south central part of the state, to the seacoast area. That’s where most of the activity seems to be concentrated.”

Allie Norman / Equinox Staff: Statistics and information provided in the graphic above pertain to the state of Massachusetts and can be found on the website Mass.gov.

Andrew referenced various studies from the Center for Disease Control, which have published supporting statistics.

In regard to preventing heroin overdoses, John Finneran, a Keene State College Professor of health science and substance abuse, said, “About ten people in this country die every day of opiate overdoses, and every one of them is preventable — if you get naloxone,” Finneran said.

“Naloxone is opiate antagonist. It blocks receptors that heroin would attach too. Not only will it push off an opiate molecule, it will bind and prevent other opiate molecules from attaching,” Finneran said.

The state of N.H. does not yet provide first responders with naloxone, however, Dr. Andrew explained.

“That’s being partly debated here in New Hampshire. It appears on its surface that that’s a sensible thing to do. That’s the only known immediate antidote. If an EMS crew is at a scene and everything about that evidence suggests that this is an opiate overdose, that person won’t be able to get naloxone until they get to the emergency room and that might be too late,” he said.

Finneran explained, “Some places in Massachusetts are working with parent groups; parents whose children are still actively addicted.” Finneran continued, “If the son or daughter has an opiate overdose at home, a parent can intervene with the naloxone.”

In Mass., Governor Deval Patrick declared a Public Health Emergency on March 27, 2014, in response to the growing opioid epidemic.

According a press release from Patrick, “The use of oxycodone and other narcotic painkillers, often as a route to heroin addiction, has been on the rise for the last few years in Massachusetts.  At least 140 people have died from suspected heroin overdoses in communities across the Commonwealth in the last several months, levels previously unseen. From 2000 to 2012, the number of unintentional opiate overdoses increased by 90 percent.”

Kerri A. Quintal, a Mass. attorney said, “Fire, police and health care providers [in Mass.] are being provided with naloxone.” Quintal also said she has recently seen more inquiries about Section 35, a legal option within Chapter 123 of the Mass. General Laws, which, “is used for individuals who are habitual substance abusers.” Quintal explained the action is often used when there is a safety concern for the habitual abusers and others around them.

Quintal said, “This option has been around for years, and it’s been used for people who have habitual drinking issues or drugs. I think we’re going to start seeing it more now with the heroin epidemic…I just think people are getting more educated, and because of the publicity of the heroin epidemic, I think it’s becoming more and more of an issue that folks explore.”

According to the official Health and Human Services site, Section 35, “permits the courts to involuntarily commit someone whose alcohol or drug use puts themselves or others at risk. Such a commitment can lead to an inpatient substance abuse treatment for a period of up to 90 days. Under the law, the person can be committed to a licensed treatment facility or, if none is available, to a separate unit at the correctional facility.”

Quintal noted, “A family member would go into the courts and say, ‘I am petitioning this court to pick up my son. My son is a chronic habitual heroin user, and I am afraid for his life.’”

The family member petitioning would fill out a detailed affidavit with evidence that the individual which they are concerned for is a substance abuse user, according to Quintal. If the judge agrees the affidavit and family member have provided the proper evidence, Quintal explained this petition made by the family member will last for only 24 hours.

If the individual being petitioned is not found in that time, the petitioning family member must re-petition. When the individual is found, he or she is interviewed by a doctor known as a forensic specialist. According to Quintal, the doctor will help to make the determination of whether the person meets the legal requirement of a substance abuser “who is chronic, or habitually consumes substance that interferes with their functioning.”

The individual is told by the doctor the information will not be confidential to the courts, according to Quintal. Mass.

Attorney Quintal added, “If the person does not wish to speak to the doctor, the doctor can only go by evidence provided by the information of the family and the affidavit that’s presented and how the person presents physically when making a determination.”

Quintal explained further, “The whole idea of this particular section of Section Thirty-five is that it’s an emergency. An emergency should mean act now.”

As the state of N.H. has used specialty drug courts to address substance abusers, Finneran noted  his research of scientific literature and said he has noticed, “It [the use of drug courts and diversion programs] certainly keeps people away from prison…We know that the more exposure a person has with treatment, the greater the likelihood of the treatment-taking is, and that it’s helpful to adopt a long term perspective in the treatment of substance use disorders.”

Dr. Andrew explained, “I think that [the presence of drug courts in N.H.] is an interesting wrinkle, because it is very a different problem than other types of crime and interpersonal violence and that sort of thing, because it’s a behavioral issue. It’s a substance abuse sort of mental health type issue.”

Despite the strategies in place in N.H., Finneran said, “We [N.H.] need more treatment resources. I should think that we would need more detox beds. We need more halfway houses. We need more outpatient services. It’s not just the person with addictive disorders. For a lot of folks now that are in the chemical dependence or the addiction field, clients just don’t suffer from a substance abuse problem. They suffer from co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. I think the treatment resources for mental illness are not great here in this state, and I don’t think the treatment services for folks with co-occurring disorders is that great.”

Andrew expressed a societal concern on drug use. Andrew said, “It’s pathetic that we have this attitude that shows this abuse is just kind of another recreational thing to do. That’s probably the hardest thing. You can pass laws, you can even establish treatment programs, but unless there’s some sort of societal compact, sort of line-in-the -sand that says we will not tolerate substance abuse, it’s always going be with us at one level or another.”

“There is a wealth of other ways to experience alternative ways of being and ways of feeling that don’t involve the use of chemical alteration of your brain chemistry,” Andrew stated.

Pamela Bump can be contacted at pbump@keene-equinox.com

As the discussion continues on the difference between soap versus alcohol sanitizers, Keene State College students and faculty members have expressed more of an importance on general hygiene rather than one hand washing product over another.

To fight germs within the residential halls, KSC’s office of Residential Life has used the installation of Purell dispensers in common bathrooms.

However, Res Life has also expressed importance in students providing their own bathroom washing materials.

Jim Carley, who serves a variety of different roles on campus, is also the associate director for facilities and business operations in the Residential Life offices, said, “The expectation that we have — and what we tell students when they get here — is that you’re expected to supply your own washing and drying materials when you use the restrooms here.” Carley added, in residence halls with common bathrooms like Randall Hall, “There is a Purell dispenser, but we do not provide soap and paper towels. That’s pretty much the same for all of them [residence hall bathrooms].“

Purell hand sanitizer is not a soap—it is an alcohol sanitizer, originally created mainly for doctors and restaurant owners to quickly kill germs, according to the hand sanitizer brand’s official site.

Erin D’Aleo / Graphics Editor

According to the Purell company, the sanitizer kills more than 99 percent of germs when applied. However, it is not meant to be sole protector of hygiene, according to Carley and the FDA. The FDA similarly noted that hand sanitizers can be used when no water is present, but that people should wash their hands with warm soapy water.

KSC senior James Murray, who had previously lived in Owls Nest and other residential halls on campus, stated he thinks soap should be provided in the residential bathrooms.

“I think, by not providing soap, we’re probably promoting the spread of germs and sickness due to a small proportion of lazy individuals infecting the rest,” he said.

Murray explained that he has always favored soap over sanitizers when washing his hands as it is, “less abrasive.”

Carley, who acknowledged that soap is more powerful and a better choice than sanitizer said, “I do often get questions as to why we don’t put soap and paper towels in the bathrooms across campus, in terms of the residence halls. We’ve done studies on this a couple of years ago. The cost is somewhere between fifty and a hundred dollars a semester that would have to be added on to the room rate. It’s just not worth it for students to have to spend that kind of money, when we know that they have the ability to provide soap and towels.”

Despite the cost increase, Josh White, a KSC student currently housed in Fiske, said he would not mind paying more for soap instead of sanitizer. When describing his Fiske bathroom, White said, “There’s really not much [cleaning supplies].” White, who shares a common bathroom with residents on his floor, explained there was a Purell dispenser in the bathroom, and that he had occasionally seen paper towels.

White said he was not sure if the paper towels were provided or left at the sink, but later added, “I think it [the common bathroom] could be better stocked with soap and possibly a hand dryer.”

Purell dispensers are provided in a number of residential bathrooms on campus, according to Carley.

However, Carley indicated, “Purell is not soap. I think basically, all it does is kill germs. You certainly wouldn’t use Purell if you got your hands all muddy or you’ve been working on your car or something like that. That’s not what it is for. It’s more for if you’re over at the DC [Zorn Dining Commons] where you’re going to put your hand on something that thousands of other people have put their hands on. “

“One of the things that the college tries to do is to make sure there’s something there for students and for staff. Outside of the public restrooms, where we do have a soap dispenser and paper towels — and the bathrooms in the student center have those hand dryers — we try to put something out there in case the students can’t go and wash their hands,” Carley said. “If I was to use the bathroom, I would wash my hands with soap and water, I would not look for the Purell dispenser,” Carley stated.

Pam Bump can be contacted at  pbump@keene-equinox.com

Each day, I face the short person’s struggle of trying to reach high shelves. I am also that person who gets tired running up just a few flights of stairs. Luckily, I am also able to eat abnormally large meals in one sitting due to my fast metabolism.

With all of these strange physical traits, sometimes I even forget that I have a lifelong visual impairment, which qualifies as legal blindness.

Despite the inconveniences of my own physical differences, I know I would not be the same person if I did not have these different traits.

Some may think any physical differences could hold a person back in life.

Today, some may even wish to change or avoid these physical traits entirely. In the future, the process of altering someone’s DNA — which we once heard about in science fiction novels and films — could actually be available to some groups of people.

Allie Norman / Equinox Staff

Using medical technology, which could be used to save lives, in order to create a child with preferable traits is wrong.

I also do not condone this technology when it is used to decrease chances of genetic predispositions, which may be considered inconvenient to a parent.

The importance of being human is learning how to adapt and live. Before we spend time and money overhauling our own DNA, we need to re-investigate why our society views physical differences, or traits, as “problems” which need to be cured, treated or avoided entirely.

We must also explore why it may be necessary to alter a person’s DNA, and possibly a person’s entire life, before he or she is even born.

Dictionary.com defined genetic engineering as, “The development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population.”

As this research is growing, the idea of creating a designer baby has become a possibility.

I believe there is a difference between genetic engineering when it relates to picking practical traits and genetic engineering when it relates to life quality or life expectancy.

When the possibility of a genetic, but potentially fatal illness is present, it is the parent’s decision of whether or not to use genetic treatment methods. The prevention of truly life-threatening genetic predispositions is clearly for medical reasoning and is acceptable. Using this technology to create a “designer baby,” is not.

It is easy to understand that most parents would like to start their child off on the right path. Personally, my quality of life has never been decreased by my physical challenges.

I have been motivated by my own challenges and embraced my own differences, as well as the differences of others.

In fact, I like to believe that my differences have made my quality of life even better.

I am not the only disabled person who is proud to advocate for his or her disability. I, like many disabled people, don’t look at how we can avoid disabilities.

My focus is that every single person on this earth is differently-abled, especially those who legally qualify as disabled. We should embrace these differences as human beings.

The idea of creating designer babies through medicine encourages us to believe in perfection. We should encourage people to feel proud of, embrace and advocate their own differences; genetic or otherwise.

Pam Bump can be contacted at  pbump@keene-equinox.com

Following the Keene State College press conference with Republican N.H. Senator Andy Sanborn, Democratic N.H. Senator Molly Kelly stated her views on topics which were brought up at the Feb. 12 event. 

Senator Kelly serves District 10 of N.H., which includes the city of Keene. Kelly stated that she had been sent The Equinox coverage of Sanborn’s press conference. Kelly said, “I approach my work in state senate from, maybe, a different place [than Sanborn], but one that I think is important. It’s probably the principal and premise of where I start from …. I believe that the purpose of government is to enable individuals to provide for themselves, each other, their families, [and] communities. What government needs to do is to provide the resources and the tools that do enable individuals to provide for themselves.”

One major topic discussed at the Public Affairs Reporting press conference with Sanborn was N.H. House Bill 492. This bill proposes legalization of marijuana with government regulation in areas like sales and distribution.

Senator Sanborn said he opposed the bill for many reasons, and stated he believed passing the bill would make government “bigger.”

Kelly stated, “It [HB 492] passed in the house in session, but went back to Ways and Means [committee]. They have not come out with a recommendation yet….For me, to make a comment about HB 492—it’s a little early.” Kelly continued, “I’m not even sure what that bill will look like before it gets up to the senate. I think it’s really early for senators to be responding to that particular bill.”

Kelly stated the passing of legislation involves a long process, which can cause its language to change as it moves through the house and senate.

“If the bill looks different than the house bill, we get together with members to see if we can agree on that language. If we cannot agree, the bill dies. If we agree and the house and the senate both vote on that, the bill goes to the governor to see what the governor decides,” Kelly said.

At the Feb. 12 KSC press conference, Sanborn stated on the topic of bills like HB 492, “Any of you that are willing to give up economic freedom for the perception of limited personal freedom deserve neither.”

Kelly responded to Sanborn’s statement and said, “I think that what is important is that we recognize and that we also honor, the classes that we have in democracy­—which is exhibited here in our state senate, as we propose legislation.”

File Photo Karina Barriga / Senior Reporter:
Democratic N.H. Senator Molly Kelly poses for a photo in the Mason Library at Keene State College.

Kelly said, “It [HB 492] appears to be an important issue to students — I do think it’s important that any legislation passed regarding legalization of a drug like marijuana would certainly need regulations in place before any final decision is made, like alcohol.”

Kelly pivoted to policies and legislation outside of HB 492, which she stated were also important topics to students of N.H.

Throughout her work and discussions with students, including those at KSC, Kelly said some of the most important policies to students have involved education. Kelly, a KSC graduate, shared, “For me, of the greatest resources a government can provide­—the number-one resource is education and training. That has been a core of my work.”

Kelly noted that policy makers, like herself, ask questions like, “‘How do we run our university systems in a fair, equitable manner?’ and, ‘How do we work and help with policy on different options with student debt?’”

“New Hampshire, today, is the fiftieth in the nation on state funding within the university systems. New Hampshire is number two in the nation for debt. We need to work on that—I’ve worked hard, and supported the budget towards almost all the funding for the university system,” Kelly said.

One piece of legislature that Kelly recently sponsored was Senate Bill 215. “It’s a bill to authorize businesses to incorporate, in the state of New Hampshire, benefits corporations,” Kelly stated.

Kelly stated the premise of a corporation, and the fiduciary duty of its owners or officer, has been to maximize profit. A benefit cooperation, as proposed in the legislature, “Has a duel fiduciary duty. Not only [to] benefit the stockholders to maximize profits, but also to provide a social impact on the community,” according to Kelly.

Kelly said college students have had a positive impact on this bill.

“I will tell you that when students come and testify, people listen. They testified and said that they were going to be graduating from college, and they were the future of our human capital, and that they were looking to work for companies that want to make a profit, but that also have a meaningful impact on their community. That was very compelling,” Kelly stated.

Kelly added, “The bill did get passed out of the committee, and last week passed out of the senate. It will now go to the house for hearing. I think that students would be really interested in knowing that this kind of benefit corporation could have an impact on their lives and on their future.”

Another major piece of legislation that Kelly and Sanborn disagree on is the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, or the ACA. Sanborn, who stated in the KSC press conference that he does not support the ACA, said the legislation was “bad public policy.” Sanborn later added, “This will go down in history as the most damaging thing that’s ever happened to our state.”

Oppositely, Kelly stated, “I have been working with plenty of the ACA agencies here in our state. I believe that they have a very positive impact on constituents. For example, students in New Hampshire can be insured up until the age of twenty-six [years of age] on their parents insurance—I would think that is a very positive impact.”

Kelly added, “The Affordable Care Act also demands that insurance companies insure individuals who have pre-existing conditions— if you have a pre-existing condition, you can now be insured.”

“We know that we can’t stay the same, here in our healthcare system, and we can’t go backwards. The Affordable Care Act is really moving us forward and making sure that we all have, as a community, access to good healthcare,” Kelly stated.

Kelly also said, “I am sure that there will be glitches as we move forward, like anything when we put forward a new initiative. It is a good initiative, one where the premise is to ensure that we all have access to healthcare. We’ll fix it if we need to.”

In response to Sanborn’s claims that hypocrisy existed in government, Kelly, an eight-year member of the N.H. Senate, stated, “I really have a lot of respect for the process that is democracy—which means that we do debate, we don’t always agree, but we do work together to come forward with legislation, and then, ultimately laws that really work in the best interest of the people that we serve. We work through communication with each other so that we can get to the facts. We all start with a different premise and so far, I have not agreed with a lot of senators. We don’t vote together, but I have a lot of respect for each of them and the people that they represent.”

Kelly concluded and stated, “Democracy takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of understanding, it takes a lot of communication. But then the results are better than anywhere else. So, I celebrate it on a daily basis.”

Pamela Bump can be contacted at pbump@keene-equinox.com