Editor’s note: During the course of a week, issues are covered that might not lend themselves to full editorial comment, but they are worthy of The Sunday Telegraph weighing in – thumbs up, thumbs down or neutral.

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Thumbs Up – To those are manning the COVID-19 vaccine volunteer call centers. Registration opened at 8 a.m. Friday for the approximately 325,000 people in phase 1B of the state’s vaccination plan. That includes anyone age 65 or older, people with at least two qualifying medical conditions, corrections workers, and staff and residents of residential facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The easiest way to register will be via the vaccine.nh.gov website. Those who can’t schedule an appointment online can call the state’s 2-1-1 hotline. More than 300 state employees have volunteered to staff the phones, but wait times of an hour or more are possible, Gov. Chris Sununu said. “We need people to be patient. We’ll be expecting unprecedented call volume … but rest assured, every call will be answered by a live person,” he said. “The system is set up, and it’s going to work.” More than 60,000 people have tested positive for the virus, with 962 total deaths in New Hampshire. Let us hope phase 1B goes smoothly – and quickly – so more Granite Staters can get vaccinated.

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THUMBS UP – New Hampshire communities would be authorized to rename locations or geographic features in the Abenaki language under a bill aimed at promoting the state’s Native American heritage. “Land holds a kind of memory that is often expressed through names,” Sen. David Watters told the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee on Wednesday. “For New Hampshire, it’s an opportunity to recognize this, to enrich our understanding of place history and also the environment, by understanding the presence of Native American names.” The bill would require the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs to assist communities in determining appropriate names. Kathleen Blake, chairperson of the commission, said the group is pleased the bill has been proposed and appreciates being included. Numerous cities, towns and villages already bear names with Native American roots, including Merrimack, Nashua, Ossipee, Sunapee and Penacook.

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