In the kitchen with Christos Babis and Lexi Griburas Babis

Christos Babis and his wife, Lexi Griburas Babis, of Candia are the owners of Villaggio Ristorante (677 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 627-2424, villaggionh.com), which opened in the Queen City’s North End in 2012. Villaggio is an eatery known for its classic Italian dishes, including those made with chicken, veal and fresh seafood, as well as a full-service bar with wines, beers and specialty cocktails. Other popular offerings include lasagna, housemade potato and ricotta gnocchi, and fresh egg angel hair or fettuccine pastas with your choice of sauce. Villaggio reopened daily for dinner on June 18.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

CB: Definitely tongs, because everything on the menu is made in a saute pan.

LGB: For me it would be a potholder.

What would you have for your last meal?

CB: Octopus with tomato salad, olives, feta cheese and a nice crusty bread.

LGB: Grilled calamari with fresh steamed greens, and then Christos’s chocolate soufflé.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

CB: Mine!

LGB: The Golden Tao [Restaurant in Manchester].

What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?

CB: Al Pacino.

LGB: Gordon Ramsay.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

CB: The filet mignon with cognac sauce.

LGB: Frutti di Mare.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

CB: Made-to-order food that can be personalized.

LGB: We never really had a big takeout business … [but] takeout is so huge right now.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

CB: Grilled salmon.

LGB: I like to make all kinds of soups, like bean soups, meatball soups and pumpkin soup in the fall.

Butternut squash soup
Courtesy of Christos Babis and Lexi Griburas Babis of Villaggio Ristorante in Manchester
½ gallon whole milk
1 large butternut squash (cleaned, peeled and diced)
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring milk to a boil. Add the squash, followed by the salt and pepper, then the ginger. Boil until squash is soft. Take off heat and blend with a hand-mixer until smooth, then add butter and enjoy.

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo

Brewed with quality

BiTsize Coffee Bar opens in Hooksett

A new shop has just arrived in Hooksett’s Granite Hill Shoppes plaza, but its concept has been in the making for more than a year. BiTsize Coffee Bar (pronounced “bite-size”), which opened Sept. 8, offers single-origin Costa Rican coffees, Italian blend espresso drinks and several types of teas and smoothies, plus a food menu of fresh baked goods, paninis and desserts.

The shop is a partnership between Granite Hill Shoppes property owner George Kassas and Rabih Bou Chaaya, who has owned Maya Gourmet in Methuen, Mass., since 2014. After operating as a successful wholesale baking business for several years — you can find its baklava at several Market Basket and Whole Foods stores across southern New Hampshire — Maya Gourmet opened a retail coffee shop and storefront in June 2019. Kassas, who had envisioned the then-vacant space on the lower level of his Hooksett plaza for more than a year, said he was immediately taken with Maya Gourmet’s concept during a visit one day as a customer.

“The minute I walked into Rabih’s place, I said ‘this is it,’” Kassas said. “I wanted a top-notch quality coffee bar … and so I said to him that I’d like him to come and see the location that I had here. He and his wife came up and looked at it and they kind of fell in love with it too.”

According to Bou Chaaya, the new coffee bar’s concept is similar to that of Maya Gourmet’s. All of its baked goods, which include French-style butter croissants, Danishes and more than a half dozen types of cookies and muffins, are prepared fresh at the Methuen location the night before. Maya Gourmet’s baklava is also available for sale, both the Greek and the Lebanese style, as well as several treats out of a bakery display that include French macarons and cake slices in several flavors, like red velvet, chocolate and limoncello.

The daily drip coffee, Bou Chaaya said, is a single-origin bean from Costa Rica that’s roasted at Maya Gourmet, available in pour-over or siphon brewing methods. Espresso drinks, which include lattes, cappuccinos and macchiatos, come from a bean imported from Italy.

The shop also offers seven different types of hot and iced teas, sourced from Mighty Leaf Tea, that are all brewed to order, plus multiple flavors of smoothies, like strawberry banana, raspberry, mango, pineapple coconut and blueberry pomegranate.

“We use a real fruit puree,” Bou Chaaya said of the smoothies, “and then you have the option to add whipped cream or boba, which are juice balls.”

Paninis are made to order too, on your choice of either a ciabatta bread or a French baguette. Flavors include a tuna melt, a ham and cheese, a caprese, and the Ultimate, which has turkey, salami, pastrami, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, roasted peppers and fresh mixed greens.

Other food offerings are crepes with strawberry and banana flavors and a Nutella spread, and an oatmeal bowl with milk, walnuts, honey and fruits. Bou Chaaya said breakfast sandwiches on croissants and bagels will likely be added to the food menu soon.

BiTsize Coffee Bar
Where:
1461 Hooksett Road, Unit A-1, Hooksett
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (may be subject to change)
More info:
Find them on Facebook and Instagram @bitsize_coffee_bar or call 210-2089

Featured photo: BiTsize Coffee Bar. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Grape expectations

Black Bear Vineyard to host Harvest Weekends

It’s peak grape picking season in New Hampshire, and a local vineyard is celebrating by inviting you to come out and enjoy freshly crushed juice, live music, food trucks, games and more.

Black Bear Vineyard in Salisbury offers wine tastings and tours throughout the year. But during its two Harvest Weekends, on Saturdays, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, and Sundays, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, you’ll be able to watch the fruit getting destemmed and crushed before you taste samples of the juice.

“It’s the only time visitors can try the juice that makes all the wines that we offer,” Black Bear Vineyard chief marketing officer Nick Jarvis said. “These weekends will be prime time for picking the grapes, because they will be at the optimal sugar levels.”

Between noon and 6 p.m. on any of the four days, people can come to the vineyards, watch the grape-harvesting process and try the juice — no reservations are necessary, but masks are encouraged when out on the vineyard and required when entering the indoor facility.

With five grape varieties grown on site and about 18 acres of rolling hills, Black Bear is one of the state’s largest vineyards, with lots of room to socially distance outdoors, Jarvis said.

“We’ve had a lot of great responses over the years, but this is the first year we’ve taken the extra step to really try to grow the event,” he said. “We’re ready for more people to come, especially in these times, when we’re looking for anything that will get us outside.”

A few local food trucks are expected to set up at the vineyard during the Harvest Weekends, beginning at noon. Mama’s on the Run, brought to you by the owners of Mama McDonough’s Irish Pub in Hillsborough, will be there on Sept. 26 and on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, according to Jarvis. The truck features a menu of American-style foods — some options even have their own Irish twist, like the Reuben burgers and the corned beef poutine. The Rochester-based Sausage Express food truck, with gourmet hot dog, sausage and sub options, will also be at the vineyard on Oct. 3.

Each live music act will perform at the vineyard from 2 to 5 p.m., Jarvis said, while games of cornhole will also be available. Singer-songwriter April Cushman will be there on Sept. 26, followed by Rory Scott on Sept. 27, Gabby Martin on Oct. 3 and Austin McCarthy on Oct. 4.

Jarvis said wine tasting tickets will also be available for sale at the vineyard for $12 per person, which usually include four to six different wines to sample, in addition to a tasting glass.

Harvest Weekends
When: Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 26 and 27, and Oct. 3 and 4, noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Black Bear Vineyard, 289 New Road, Salisbury
Cost: Free admission and parking
Visit: blackbearvineyard.com
No reservations are required. Masks or face-coverings are required when in the indoor facility.

Drive-thru Greek fests
There won’t be a Glendi Greek food festival in the traditional sense this year, but St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St., Manchester) is returning to bring you two drive-through events; the first, a Gyro Day, is happening on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees can drive up for their gyro bag with chips and water for $10 (cash only). Then on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 4 to 7 p.m., you can drive up for a lamb shank dinner for $20, which will include rice and green beans. Orders for that dinner must be placed by Oct. 11. Visit stgeorgeglendi.com.

More harvest happenings
For more grape harvesting fun, you can head to Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis) for its fourth annual New Hampshire Grape Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at 11 a.m.

The event will feature wine tastings at the vineyard and photo opportunities in a grape stomping barrel before concluding with a live performance from comedian Paul D’Angelo at 7 p.m.
Fulchino Vineyard owner and winemaker Al Fulchino said the event is in line with the conclusion of the harvesting season for its more than 20 varieties of grapes.
A similar event, the Hollis Grape Festival, was held earlier this month on the town common.
The vineyard will also soon be overseeing the make-up dates of its commemoration of National Drink Wine Weekend during the weekend of Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, after the event was rescheduled from earlier this year.
“We have five wineries participating and for a $20 ticket, people can go around and taste four wines at each location throughout the weekend,” said Fulchino, whose vineyard is one of the participants, in addition to Averill House Vineyard in Brookline, Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, Apollo Vineyards in Derry and Winnipesaukee Winery in Wolfeboro.

Visits will be open to ticket holders from 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are available for purchase at fulchino-vineyard-inc.square.site and also include a commemorative tasting glass.

Featured Photo: Photo courtesy of Black Bear Vineyard.

The Weekly Dish 20/09/24

News from the local food scene

Oktoberfest celebrations: To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) will host its Oktoberfeston Saturday, Sept. 26, from noon to 9 p.m., featuring a triple beer release in drafts and cans (of an altbier, a double IPA and a blueberry and raspberry sour), raffle tickets and T-shirts for sale, and food specials like pretzels, bratwursts with sauerkraut and German-style potato skins. Reservations and masks are required — for the duration of the event, there are 90-minute reservation blocks with 15 minutes between them dedicated to cleaning and sanitizing. Email info@tosharebrewing.com to make a reservation. And The Hills Restaurant at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford) will offer an Oktoberfest specials menu from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Saturday, Oct. 3, featuring appetizers, like obatzda (seasoned beer and cheese spread with pretzel and radishes) and apfelmostsuppe (creamy apple cider soup); entrees, like wienerschnitzel (pan seared breaded veal), brathendl (half roasted chicken), schweinhaxen (crispy slow-cooked pork shank) and sauerbraten (wine and vinegar braised beef); and desserts, like apfelkuchle (apple ring fritters and vanilla ice cream), as well as a selection of Oktoberfest beers and specialty cocktails. Visit hampshirehills.com.

Canterbury farmers market to conclude: The final date of the Canterbury Community Farmers Market’s summer season is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Elkins Public Library (9 Center Road, Canterbury). Since early June the market has featured around 20 local vendors on average, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, artisan cheeses, meats, personal care products and more. The indoor winter markets this year have been canceled, so the final market on Sept. 30 will also feature several specialty vendors to help you get ready for the holidays, like note and holiday cards, mittens from repurposed wool sweaters and fresh wreaths for preorder, plus soups from the Friends of the Elkins Library. Visit canterburyfarmersmarket.com.

Cafe One East now open in Warner: A new cafe offering specialty coffees, baked goods and other items is now open in Warner. Cafe One East opened Sept. 5 at 1 E. Main St., the former space of Schoodacs, which had closed its doors earlier this year. Although the shop is now under new ownership with a new name, Cafe One East features a menu similar to that of its predecessor, with brewed coffees and espresso drinks, fresh smoothies, doughnuts, breakfast sandwiches, and several rotating hot dishes for lunch, like soups, chilis and macaroni and cheese. Find them on Facebook @cafeoneeast.

Putting the garden to bed

Get started early to avoid the cold

This year I resolve to get my garden put to bed early so I am not wearing gloves and long johns as I cut back the daylilies on cold, wet fall days.

First on my list is the need to sow some grass seed. I have places where my lawn was killed when a torrential downpour dumped sand from my road onto the lawn. Fall is a better time to sow seed because the ground is warmer and it will germinate quickly. In the spring, seed can rot during cold, wet weather. I will spread some topsoil or compost to improve the soil, then mix it in with a short-tined rake. After spreading seed, I will cover it with a layer of straw. That will help to keep the soil and seeds from drying out, though I will water occasionally if it gets dry.

Chrysanthemums are for sale now at farm stands, and I purchased a few pots of them to brighten up the front yard. I treat them as annuals, even though some of them are perennial. But the growers cut back the plants as they grow, causing them to branch out and produce hundreds of blossoms on bigger plants. If I let them over-winter, the plants would have some flowers, but never so many as what the professionals produce. It’s worth it to me to buy a few each fall.

Mums in pots tend to dry out quickly, so I have been soaking mine in my birdbath. That way the pots suck up water, getting it down deep. I could actually plant my mums in the ground, but I like them in pots on the front steps or in my wooden wheelbarrow. They need water every few days.

This is also the time of year when I move shrubs. I recently moved a diervilla, one called Kodiak. It was given to me years ago, and it was crowded in between a crab apple tree and a red-veined enkianthus. I decided it needed more space to grow, and I wanted to expose a stone wall behind it. So I dug it up.

This shrub is about three feet tall and wide and had been in the ground more than five years. I used a shovel called a drain spade: a spade with a long, narrow blade. I pushed it into the ground at a 45-degree angle in four places around the bush. Each time I pushed the shovel handle down to lift the shrub slightly. Then, when I’d gone all around it, I got the spade under the middle of the plant, pushed down hard, and popped it right out. I tugged on the plant and pulled it loose, roots and all. Some were cut by my shovel, others not. I moved it to its new home, covered the roots and watered well. A week later it looks fine.

The vegetable garden is winding down, and as each crop is harvested, I weed the row and apply mulch as needed to keep wind-blown seeds from finding a home. My favorite mulch consists of chopped fall leaves: I run over leaves on the lawn with my lawnmower to chop them, and rake them onto a tarp, which I drag down to the vegetable garden. It’s too early for leaves, so I’m using straw for now.

When cleaning up the vegetable garden it’s important to keep diseased plants separate from healthy ones (which go on the compost pile). I generally have a location for noxious weeds and diseased plants and do not use that material after it breaks down, or not for many years.

I tend to get a little lackadaisical about the perennial flower gardens late in the season. Weeds and grasses have a way of showing up there, and by pulling them now, the work will be less in the spring. Cindy and I have done a pretty good job of mulching the flower gardens this year using a ground hemlock bark mulch, though some weeds push on through. This is a good time to get rid of those rascals.

I cut back some flowers in the fall but like to leave some tall perennials — birds enjoy their seeds, and some beneficial insects need places to lay their eggs, or to use as shelter. On the other hand, there is a lot to do in the spring, and cleaning up the flower beds now reduces the work later on. Cutting back perennials with a pair of pruning shears is tedious. I prefer to use a serrated harvest sickle that allows me to slice through a handful of stalks in one quick motion.

This is also a good time to divide perennials to make more plants. Peonies, for example, are best divided and moved in late September to mid-October. Dig up daylilies, phlox or asters now the way you would a shrub, and then use a small saw or root knife to divide it into two or more plants. Most plants like being divided, assuming you give them some compost and a little fertilizer

Featured Photo: Photo by Henry Homeyer.

The Art Roundup 20/09/24

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

Closing exhibits: A number of local art exhibits are closing this week. Catch “Searching for Solace: Sacred Spaces/Sacred Places, on view now through Sept. 27 at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen; 975-0015, twiggsgallery.wordpress.com). It features paintings, sculpture, textiles and ceramics by 13 artists exploring the concept of personal sanctuary, with a focus on nature. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

Stop by the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord; 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) to see “Life’s Work: Occupations & Identity, up now through Sept. 28 in the Carriage House Gallery. It features portrait photography by Maundy Mitchell that explores the evolution of trades and societal views on identity and jobs. Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford; 673-8499, nhantiquecoop.com) has an exhibit and sale, “Abstract Paintings & Tribal Masks, on display in the Tower Gallery now through Sept. 30. It features modernist 20th- and 21st-century paintings juxtaposed alongside a collection of Oceanic and African hand-carved masks and figural carvings. Co-op hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday by appointment. The co-op also has a virtual art exhibit and sale, “Summer Palettes: Impressionist & Modernist Works from the 19th century to Present, viewable online now through Sept. 30.

Theater in person…: The Hatbox Theatre’s (270 Loudon Road, Concord) mainstage production of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters continues through Sept. 27, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The play centers on two childhood friends, Melissa and Andrew, who write letters to each other for their entire lives and develop a deep bond. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

• … or theater from home: The Manchester Community Theatre Players present Blood on His Hands?, an original play by local playwrights Alan D. Kaplan and Tom Anastasi, with livestreamed performances on Fridays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, and Saturdays, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. In the play, a fictional president, President Stump, is on trial for how he has handled the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the audience to decide whether or not he is guilty of negligence. “We fully appreciate that politics can be divisory and people have strong opinions both for and against the way the coronavirus was handled, but we wanted this to be a conversation starter and chance for people to see both sides of the issue,” company manager Steve Short said in a press release. The play is free to watch. Visit manchestercommunitytheatre.com.

Art at The Fells: The John Hay Estate at The Fells (456 Route 103, Newbury) hosts an Afternoon of Dance, Sculpture and Art on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors can follow a self-guided tour through the galleries, outdoor exhibit and around the estate grounds, where there will be dancers, sculptures, artwork and artists reflecting the theme “Stillness and Motion.” The cost of admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $4 for kids ages 6 through 17, and free for kids age 5 and under. Visit thefells.org.

Shaker Village weekend: Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury), in partnership with Red River Theatres, presents a free outdoor movie night featuring Casablanca (1942) on Friday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. The film will be shown on the lawn by the Meeting House. The following day, Saturday, Sept. 26, the Village is having a garage, tag and yard sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will feature a wide variety of items, including books, decorations, furniture, household goods, DVDs, toys, games and more. Additionally, there will be a 50-percent-off sale on select items in the Village Store. Masks are required. Visit shakers.org.

Screen plays

Theatre Kapow opens new season with virtual performances

Like most theater companies pre-Covid, Theatre Kapow had a very different idea of what its 2020 season would look like. The Manchester-based company was just days away from beginning rehearsals for one of the two remaining shows in its 12th season when theaters were shut down in March.

After months of planning, Theatre Kapow is moving forward with its 13th season, titled “We Can Get Through This,” starting with a series of three one-person plays, each with four exclusively livestreamed performances.

“It was pretty clear early on that if we wanted to continue making theater at this time, we would have to do very, very small shows,” artistic director Matt Cahoon said. “We figured solo performances would be pretty much the safest thing to do right now.”

The series focuses largely on the idea of isolation and other themes that are very relevant to people today, Cahoon said, such as resilience, courage and conviction.

The first play, Feast, which runs Sept. 25 through Sept. 27, is being directed by Cahoon and performed by his wife, Carey Cahoon.

Written in 2019 by Megan Gogerty, Feast reimagines a villain from a well-known work of medieval English literature (you’ll have to watch the play to find out who it is) who is throwing a dinner party to confront society about its acts of injustice.

“Even though it’s telling this ancient story, it’s probably the most contemporary show I’ve ever directed,” Cahoon said. “It speaks very much to the current moment and even about living in the time of a virus.”

The second play, Lauren Gunderson’s Natural Shocks, runs Oct. 23 through Oct. 25 and is being directed by Wanda Strukus and performed by Rachael Longo. Based on the famous “To be or not to be” monologue from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the piece follows a woman, alone in her basement riding out a tornado, as she reflects on other threats in her life.

The third and final play, A Tempest Prayer by Peter Josephson (director and actor are TBD), runs Nov. 20 through Nov. 22 and is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

The plays, which are being shot in a small studio space in Manchester, are full theater productions with sets, costumes, props, lighting design and sound effects.

“It’s still theater, not film,” Cahoon said. “If people were here watching [in the studio], it would look like a regular live theater performance.”

Theatre Kapow “believes fervently” that there is something special about “the immediacy of a live performance,” Cahoon said, so there was no question that the company would livestream the plays rather than pre-record them.

“We’re doing a lot with [film elements], but doing the performances live and in the moment is what makes it theater,” Carey Cahoon added.

“If you go to the movies, you know that no matter what you do as an audience member, no matter what happens in the theater and no matter how you react, the movie isn’t going to change. It’s going to be the same every time you hit ‘play,’” Matt Cahoon said. “There is a tangible difference between that and watching something happening live and in real time. The actor puts out a different kind of energy, and people can feel that.”

The virtual format has posed a whole new set of considerations for the directors and the actors.

For example, Matt Cahoon said, when directing a play for the live stage, he watches the actor and directs the actor’s movements, but for Feast, he has been focusing his direction on the cameras, watching rehearsals on his computer screen so that he can “see what the audience is seeing.”

In many ways, the virtual format allows him to do more with the play than he could if it were being performed on a live stage, he added. For one thing, he has more control over what the audience fixes its attention on at every moment during the play.

“The staging of a play is a big part of the storytelling,” Carey Cahoon said. “It’s different [in the theater] obviously, since the human eye can see [a] wider [area] than a camera can, but in this format we can decide what we want the audience’s perspective [to be], so we’re thinking a lot about the different camera angles we’re using and what those angles mean dramatically.”

Additionally, cameras allow Matt Cahoon to give the audience perspectives that aren’t possible in a live theater, such as close-ups and overhead views.

“It’s really freeing,” Matt Cahoon said. “We [at Theater Kapow] have always prided ourselves on presenting our pieces with unique audience perspectives, and with the cameras, we can stay faithful to that approach, and we’re able to do even more and have a lot of fun with it.”

The virtual format is a unique opportunity for actors as well, Carey Cahoon said. When performing for a live audience in a theater, she said, she has to project her voice loudly to be heard and exaggerate her physical movements to be seen, but in Feast, she can give a more dynamic performance.

“I can be much quieter and do more subtle things and things with more nuance,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed the ability to explore a wider range as an actor.”

Carey Cahoon said she “spent a lot of time being bothered” about not being able to perform for an audience in person, but she has a different outlook now.

“I’ve realized that you can still create that shared environment,” she said, “because even though we can’t be in a shared space anymore, we can still be in shared time.”

Theatre Kapow’s 13th season: “We Can Get Through This”
Schedule
Feast – Sept. 25 through Sept. 27
Natural Shocks – Oct. 23 through Oct. 25
A Tempest Prayer – Nov. 20 through Nov. 22
When: Performances are on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m.
Where: Livestreamed online; ticket holders will be sent the link to watch the show
Cost: $10 per streaming device
More info: tkapow.com

Featured Photo: Carey Cahoon as Agathae in Feast. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

Quality of Life 20/09/24

Rising Stars of New Hampshire

The winners of the 2020 Rising Stars Awards, presented by Stay Work Play New Hampshire, were announced last week, honoring exceptional young people and the businesses that support them. The winners are:

Civic Leader of the Year: Hooksett resident Martin Toe, grassroots organizer intern for the American Friends Service Committee, and co-founder of Change for Concord

College Student of the Year: Barrington resident Juliana Good, senior at UNH

High School Student of the Year: Londonderry resident Erin Strike, senior at Londonderry High School

Intern of the Year: Auburn resident Madison Olsen, intern with Hinsdale School District

Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Manchester resident Shaquwan’Da Allen, owner of Rootz Natural Hair Shop

Young Professional of the Year: Lebanon resident Patrick Ho, Chief Resident, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and president of the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society

Score: +1

Comment: Three finalists were selected for Coolest Company for Young Professionals: GYK Antler of Manchester, Nobis Group of Concord and Sunrise Labs of Bedford. One of these companies will be chosen as the “People’s Choice” recipient; check out each company’s virtual “Happy Hour” event, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., to learn more about why they should be selected as the winner. Then vote online at bit.ly/RSA2020vote.

Race and remember

The Manchester Police Athletic League has turned its annual Footrace for the Fallen into a virtual event this year, while still honoring the race’s mission of remembering heroes who were lost in the line of duty and supporting the Queen City’s at-risk youth. According to a press release, the Manchester Police Department and PAL will host a drive-through bib pickup on Saturday, Oct. 3, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the police department’s parking lot, where you’ll be able to pick up your bib (and T-shirt, if you’re one of the first 500 people to register) and will be greeted by “many friendly faces who will provide you with everything you need from remembrances and giveaways to photo opportunities,” according to the release. You can then run your 5K anywhere, any time between 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, and 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5.

Score: +1

Comment: Visit runreg.com/footrace-for-the-fallen to register; the price is $25 for adults (18+) and $20 for youth.

Animals welcome?

New Hampshire has been ranked one of the least pet-friendly states in the country in a recently released report from home security company SafeWise. The 48 contiguous states were ranked on percentage of pet-friendly apartments; pet population; pets-left-in-car laws; veterinary reporting requirement laws; tether laws; anti-cruelty laws, and animal fighting paraphernalia laws. Our neighboring states of Vermont and Maine both made the top 10 for most pet-friendly states (ranked seventh and 10th, respectively), while elsewhere in New England, Connecticut joined New Hampshire in the top 10 least friendly states, ranking 10th and ninth, respectively.

Score: -1

Comment: Only 8 percent of New Hampshire’s rentals are pet-friendly, according to the report.

QOL score: 58

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 59

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com

Week 2 in the books for NFL

It’s an interesting start to NFL 2020, offering a few surprises, some predictability and a battle for player of the year off to a rousing start. Injuries have also started to rear their head as they always do, which makes team and individual predictions difficult because you never know who eventually will get hurt and when — just that someone will. What we do know is that usually the teams that get into the playoff mix are the ones who are best able to avoid a huge string of them. Especially to key guys, which KC managed to do on their way to their SB win with the dislocated knee that cost Pat Mahomes just a few weeks instead of the season-ending number it appeared to be when it happened.

So with that in mind, here’s a slightly tardy collection of observations, questions and predictions for 2020.

Can KC Do It Again? Yes. I don’t know if you’ve heard that Mahomes guy is pretty good and it appears he’s not of those guys who takes a breather after doing something really good like many others do. If you have any questions about that, see the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

Toughest Division – NFC West: With clear favorites in most divisions or a couple of dregs at the bottom of others there aren’t a lot of choices. So with San Francisco motivated by their SB loss, Russell Wilson in Seattle, the Rams looking to be rebounding and the up-coming Cards led by the Murray-to-newly-acquired-DeAndre Hopkins passing combo it’s best.

Weakest Division – NFC East: If the Cowboys can’t win a division that includes a bad team that’s already lost its best player, one who predictably did what the Patriots never did, melt away after one crummy year of success and another that doesn’t even have a nickname, then my super Cowboys fan friend George Copadis should rip up his autographed picture of Lee Roy Jordan and Don Meredith. And just wondering if stay-in-your-Lane Johnson is still having fun playing in Philly during its slide to the bottom.

Year of the Quarterback – Everyone: In college football it was 1970 when QB’s went 1-2-3 in the draft, later topped by 1983 when famers John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were among five QB’s taken. But with young’ns Mahomes, Wilson and Lamar Jackson at the top of their game, Deshaun Watson not far behind, Murray emerging, Aaron Rodgers throwing for over 600 yards with six TD passes as the Packers scored 43 and 42 points in two wins, and Cam Newton looking like he’s healthy (for now), along with Tom Brady and Drew Brees not giving in yet, 2020 might get named that for the NFL.

Player of the Year: A lot to choose from — Mahomes, Wilson, Jackson, Derrick Henry and maybe Aaron Donald on D. But I’m going with Murray, who gets the benefit of the doubt for being the newcomer in the mix as Jackson did last year.

Good Teammate of the Week AwardCam Newton: I liked how he stood up for N’Keal Harry amid incessant media yacking after that Week 1 fumble through the end zone. Don’t remember anything in recent memory like that from the last QB. Just the sour look when young receivers didn’t do what he wanted. But he justified Newton’s confidence with eight catches, including holding after getting drilled twice vs. Seattle.

Random Teammate Question of the Week: If Harry’s progress continues, does it point a finger at Brady’s diva-like behavior over necessary growing pains, a simple Year 2 step up?

Coaches on the Hot Seat – Adam Gase: With the Jets off to an 0-2 start he’s the most obvious, but with Matt Patricia 0-2 in Detroit it’s a neck-and-neck race.

GM’s on the Hot Seat – Dave Gettleman: After starting 0-2 with San Francisco, a trip out west to face the Rams in the next two games and Saquon Barkley expected gone for the year as I write this, it seems the G-Men’s GM has the pole position. And if he does, will that mean the G-Men will broom a new coach for the third time in four years to let the new guy pick his own guy?

2018 NFL Draft Award – Giants and Jets: If Barkley is gone for the year after his injury-plagued 2019 it could revive heavy criticism from the NY media for selecting a running back who gets pounded over a QB with the end nearing for Eli Manning. Except the second-guessing is going to be harder this time since they were all in on Sam Darnold, who, after two less than stellar efforts to start his third season and more are-you-kidding moments than those of real promise in first two years, has the arrow starting to point toward him joining the line of highly touted USC quarterbacks to have busted this century, which includes Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley.

I Told You So Award – Josh Allen: OK, it’s only Week 2 and it came against the Jets and Dolphins, so I’ll pump my brakes on this till mid-season, but after leading once offensively challenged Buffalo to 27 and 31 points and throwing for a career best 417 yards with four TD’s and no picks Sunday, my “he’s better than most think” belief is off to a good start.

All-Name Team MVP – Senorise Perry: If you’ve never heard of him, neither have I. But he’s the Titans’ 29 back-up runner to Henry who’s on his fourth team in five years, not including being out of football totally in 2015 and ’16.

Saddest and Worst News of the Week – James White: Condolences and prayers for the awful news of his father’s death and mom’s catastrophic injuries in their Miami car crash on Sunday.

News & Notes 20/09/24

Covid-19 updateAs of September 14As of September 21
Total cases statewide7,7147,952
Total current infections statewide291288
Total deaths statewide436438
New cases238 (Sept. 8 to Sept. 14)238 (Sept. 15 to Sept. 21)
Current infections: Hillsborough County9397
Current infections: Merrimack County2224
Current infections: Rockingham County9478
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Sept. 16, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 69, authorizing the commissioner of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to appoint new members of the state’s health ethics committee.

On Sept. 18, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-18, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the Covid-19 pandemic for another three weeks through at least Oct. 9. It’s the ninth extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency on March 13.

On Sept. 21, Sununu issued Exhibit R to Emergency Order No. 29, which had been issued on April 9. Emergency Order No. 29 requires state agencies, boards and commissions to submit recommendations to Sununu if any regulatory deadlines should be adjusted in response to the state of emergency. Per Exhibit R, the expiration of any child day care agencies and licenses in New Hampshire are stayed during the state of emergency. Renewal application deadlines for child care agencies have also been deferred until 90 days after the end of the state of emergency.

Details of Sununu’s Emergency Orders, Executive Orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

House upholds vetoes

On Sept. 17, the New Hampshire House of Representatives sustained every veto from Gov. Chris Sununu, including paid family and medical leave and a minimum hourly wage, prompting divisive responses from House and Senate leaders. “Over the past two years, Governor Sununu has vetoed a record-breaking 79 pieces of legislation, 65 of which had bipartisan support,” Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes (D-Concord) said in a statement. “This year, in the middle of a global pandemic, Sununu vetoed over one-third of the bills sent to his desk, many helping working families, frontline workers, and small businesses.” “This year’s session has been filled with Washington style political stunts from Democrats,” House Republican Leader Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack) said in a statement following the votes. “They want to raise taxes so badly that they have clearly abandoned professional protocol throughout the pandemic and pushed through their radical partisan agenda. Today Republicans stood united together to push back against these stunts on behalf of the citizens of New Hampshire.”

LEACT

New Hampshire can begin to implement all recommendations from the New Hampshire Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community and Transparency, after Gov. Chris Sununu issued a roadmap on Sept. 17 for how to move forward, according to a press release. LEACT was established through an executive order in June after the murder of George Floyd, and it recently released a report that focused on reforms to training, reporting and investigation of police misconduct, and community relations. “Today I am endorsing every single recommendation from all three parts of the LEACT report,” Sununu said. “Their charge was difficult — to come up with recommendations on how to improve law enforcement here in New Hampshire.” The release said that Sununu will issue an Executive Order to take immediate action on many of the reforms within the next two weeks, while the Attorney General will lead the effort to craft legislation for any of the reforms that require passage through the legislature.

Mental Health Plan

A report highlighting the progress that the state has made on the New Hampshire 10-Year Mental Health Plan of 2019 was released last week, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The department published the plan in January 2019, and it prioritized 14 recommendations to advance the mental health system within the first two years of implementation. The new report highlights several improvements since then, including an increase in permanent housing for individuals with mental illness, new transitional housing program beds, increased the state’s Housing Bridge Subsidy Program, established more integrated primary and behavioral health care programs at community mental centers, increased the number of children served by the Care Management Entity, and expanded Assertive Community Treatment to increase accessibility throughout the state. “The 10-Year Mental Health Plan provides the pathway to a mental health system that makes services and programs available to patients when they need them,” DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette said in the release. “We are committed to realizing this goal, and while our work continues, this report highlights the important progress that is being made.”

First Lady Melania Trump visited Concord Hospital on Sept. 17 as part of her efforts to combat opioid use, according to a report from WMUR. She was there to learn about the hospital’s “Eat, Sleep, Console” protocol, the goal of which is to wean babies from addictive drugs with minimal or no medication.

Middle-school student Kaylin Emerson of New Boston recently won the Walter A. Felker Memorial Award from the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association for a paper she wrote about maple chemistry, according to a press release. Emerson took part in the annual statewide contest, which is open to kids 16 and younger.

Livingston and Bronstein parks in Manchester have been chosen as two of 14 sites nationwide to transition to organic grounds management as part of Stonyfield Organic’s #playfree initiative, according to a press release. Stonyfield is donating $5,000 and access to experts from Osborne Organics, and Hannaford is matching the monetary donation.

The construction of Exit 4A on Interstate 93 in Derry and Londonderry has been put on hold after price proposals for the design-build project exceeded the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s cost estimate by more than $30 million, according to a press release. The department will work with both towns and affected property owners to figure out its next steps and will work toward a more cost-effective design.

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