🌱 Look For This Dairy Logo + PFAS Meeting Invite + Parents Help

Good morning, Bedford! It's me, Paula Constance, your host of the Bedford Daily.

First, today's weather:

A mostly sunny day, not as cold. High: 30 Low: 9.

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Here are the top stories in Bedford today:

1. You are invited to attend a virtual information session about exposure to PFAS chemicals in drinking water from the Saint Gobain plant in Merrimack and possible health risks for people with private wells in five New Hampshire towns: Merrimack, Litchfield, Londonderry, Bedford, and Manchester. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will discuss their health report. The information session will include an overview of ATSDR, the evaluation of PFAS contamination, the findings and recommendations of the report, and how the community can comment. There will also be an opportunity for community questions. Please register for the Information Session here: (Press Release Desk)
2. You can help local organic dairy farms survive by looking for the new Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership logo that features a group of happy cows. The new NOFFP logo will appear on milk and dairy products that support organic family Dairy farms in the Northeast. Gary Hirshberg, the former CEO of Stoneyfield Farms, is the founder and Chairman of the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. He started the organization when large dairy buyers Horizon (a brand owned by Danone North America) and Maple Hill Creamery canceled contracts in the Northeast favoring lower cost, high volume large mid-west and western dairies, nearly causing a collapse of the entire small farm industry. Hirshberg said that NOFFP signed its first formal retail partner, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, a federation of more than 40 food co-ops across the Northeast on Friday. NOFFP is also in talks with every major food seller in the region, including Hannaford, Whole Foods, and A Market. You will soon see dairy products with the new NOFFP logo on store shelves to help save 113 local organic Dairy farms. You can read more about this story here (Manchester Ink Link)
3. New Hampshire educators are working overtime to keep schools open with high numbers of teachers and staff sick with COVID-19. Jessica Potter, the principal at Center Woods Elementary in Weare, New Hampshire, booked every available substitute teacher "months in advance," but it wasn't enough. Last week, the school had twice as many staff absences as available substitute teachers, while the state board of education adopted draft rules this month that would not allow schools to use remote class days towards minimum requirements, preventing schools from having COVID-related closures if adopted by lawmakers. Companies can have employees work from home when they are sick with COVID-19, and restaurants can reduce hours, but schools don’t have those options. Potter said some parents understand how much pressure the school is under and a few work part-time as substitute teachers on their days off. At this point, she said keeping the school open every day is "a community-wide effort." You can read the full story here:

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Today in Bedford:

From my notebook:

• Marie Driscoll Obituary (1972 - 2022) - Bedford, NH - Union Leader. (Legacy.com)
• Bedford Hockey: "Please join us on Sunday for our annual Pink in the Rink game, promoting Breast Cancer Awareness." (Facebook)

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You're caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.