Beaver Brook Nature Center in Hollis is offering several outdoor programs for kids that start next week. Natural Wonders for kids ages 2 to 5 (and their caregivers) will be held Tuesdays, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Farm (117 Ridge Road, Hollis). The program will include hikes and stories and costs $36. The Busy Beavers Forest Preschool starts a four-week mini session at Maple Hill Farm on Thursday, Nov. 12, running through Thursday, Dec. 10 (no class on Thanksgiving), from 9:30 to 11: 30 a.m. The cost is $107.50. A Fitness Hiking Club for students in grades 4 through 6 also starts Tuesday, Nov. 10, and will be held at the Beaver Brook Brown Lane Farm (52 Brown Lane) from 3:45 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through Dec. 10 (no hikes Thanksgiving week). The cost is $120. Two outdoor homeschool science classes will start next week, one for ages 6 to 9 that will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, and one for ages 9 through 13 from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. The cost of each class is $100. Register for programs at beaverbrook.org.
Jumping worms!
It’s time for another Super Stellar Friday at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord). On the first Friday of each month, the Discovery Center explores science in a live online program. This month, on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., the program is Invasion of the Jumping Worms, about the “aggressively invasive” species from Asia that has been spreading through the Northeast and Midwest. This event is free, but registration is required at starhop.com.
At the movies
To infinity and beyond! Cinemagic theaters in Hooksett (38 Cinemagic Way; 644-4629), Merrimack (11 Executive Park Drive; 423-0240) and Portsmouth (2454 Lafayette Road; 319-8788) will have special showings of Toy Story (PG, 1995) Friday, Nov. 6, through Thursday, Nov. 19, for $5 a ticket. Other upcoming family-friendly special showings include Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13, 2014) from Nov. 13 to Nov. 26 and The Santa Clause (PG, 1994) from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3. Visit cinemagicmovies.com for times and safety protocols.
Save the date
Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, will make two stops in New Hampshire during his book tour for the series’ 15th title, The Deep End. On Thursday, Nov. 12, at Lincoln Street Elementary School (25 Lincoln St., Exeter) and Friday, Nov. 13, at Rundlett Middle School (144 South St., Concord), from 5 to 7 p.m., Kinney will host Drive-Thru Pool Parties with pool party-themed activities like a lifeguard dunk tank, a tiki hut and an underwater venture. He will also personally deliver signed copies of the book to fans using a six-foot pool skimmer. Tickets cost $14.99. Visit waterstreetbooks.com and gibsonsbookstore.com.
LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) is hosting a Family Bingo Night on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. featuring six rounds of bingo (with one adult and one kid winner per round) and an Italian dinner and a full bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There is a maximum limit of six adults per table, with no more than 10 people, including kids, per table. Tickets are $25 to $33 and can be purchased at labellewineryevents.com.
Try Brussels sprouts, broccoli and other fall veggies
Cut away fhe fine roots of celeriac to expose the bulbous root used for cooking or even salads. Courtesy photo.
Granted, I have a vegetable garden mainly so I can have fresh, succulent tomatoes from July until some time in October. But I also have grown, I think, all vegetables that will grow in our climate. Right now, in late October, my saved tomatoes are all eaten, but I am enjoying plenty of other fresh veggies, and I am storing others for eating later.
For late fall, nothing beats Brussels sprouts. The trick to having good Brussels sprouts is to cut off the top of the plant in early September. I say do it on Labor Day, but even a bit later is fine. If you fail to do that, the plants will use all their energy to grow taller and taller. If you cut off the top three inches and it stops growing taller, it sends its energy to bulking up those cute little green “cabbages” that pop out of the stalk. Some years I’ve continued picking until late December, despite snow and cold.
Now I realize that for many people, a serving of Brussels sprouts is as appetizing as dead skunk left on the side of the road for a couple of days before serving. Those are people who probably were served overcooked sprouts in public schools. Mushy, grayish-green sprouts are not appetizing.
If you cook your sprouts “al dente,” you may change your opinion. Steam them until just tender enough to spear with a fork, or cut them in half and sauté in butter or olive oil and walnuts, and you may change your mind. I happen to like steaming them, then sprinkling Marukan brand seasoned gourmet rice wine vinegar over mine — tasty, and without the calories of the butter preferred by many.
Kale gets tastier as the season goes on. A few hard frosts sweetens it up, and if the deer don’t get it after snowfall, I often have it until Christmas. I like it in a breakfast smoothie: In a blender I put two leaves of kale with midribs removed, a banana, a cup of orange juice and a cup of water, some fresh ginger (to taste), the juice of half a lime, and some frozen blueberries or raspberries from the garden and stored in the freezer.
Kale can also be used for salad. Our friend Eliza Bergeson makes a great kale salad: She removes the midrib and chops the kale. She then massages it for about five minutes with a dressing of olive oil and lemon. She adds honey mustard, salt and pepper. The massaging makes the kale tender and works in the dressing. She adds feta cheese crumbs, dried cranberries, walnuts and fresh red peppers for color.
My broccoli continues to produce side shoots, despite the frosts. If you keep on cutting them off, they keep on flowering. Some years I grow non-heading broccoli relatives. One is called piricicaba, the other Happy Rich. Neither produces a big head, but both produce lots of little florets and persist well into the fall. I get seeds from Johnny’s or Fedco and start them in April, as these are not readily available as starts in most garden centers.
I just harvested a five-gallon pail of celery root, or as it is often called, celeriac. This is a celery relative that is grown for its roots, not stems. The leaves look and smell the same, but celeriac does not produce edible stalks. I clean and chop celeriac roots and chop them to use in soups and stews. It has a nice celery flavor.
I start celeriac in March by seed indoors. It is a slow grower at first, but once in the ground it takes off if in moist soil and full sunshine. Spacing is important, too. Crowd celeriac and you’ll get little. This summer I spaced them six inches apart in three rows eight inches apart in one wide bed, and they did well. I watered in dry times.
I also just harvested a five-gallon pail of leeks. Leeks are great, in my book, because you can use them in lieu of onions when cooking, and unlike onions, you can freeze them.
Leek and potato soup is one of my fall favorites. I just made some, and here is what I did. I started by dicing and frying two or three strips of thick-cut bacon in a large cast iron, enameled pot. Of course, vegetarians can substitute butter instead. Then I added some olive oil and four cups of potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes. I browned the potatoes a little, then added four cups of leeks. Since I am rich in celeriac, I chopped up a whole one and added it to the mix.
Then I added eight cups of water and simmered slowly. I added 1½ teaspoons of a dried herb called herbes de Provence. That is a mix of various Mediterranean spices (savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender). And I added a couple of tablespoons of vegetarian vegetable broth powder (Seitenbacher brand) to give some added flavor. Then I added a handful of fresh chopped parsley.
I cooked the soup until the potatoes were done. I used a red-skinned potato I grew this year, one called Fenway Red. It is a productive potato and holds together well in a soup. Just don’t overcook it. I like a milky leek and potato soup, but don’t like to cook the milk, so I just added a quarter cup to each bowl at serving time. Yum!
As with any soup, I vary my leek and potato recipe whenever I make it. Sometimes I add dried cherry tomatoes or peas. Kale would be good — it goes well with potatoes at my St. Patrick’s Day meal, colcannon. That’s the great thing about fresh vegetables. You can’t go wrong.
So when you plan your garden for next year, be sure to grow some veggies that survive frost and are tasty on a cold fall night.
Featured Photo: Leeks are easy to grow and a good substitute for onions when cooked. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Glasswork by Lee Gordon, featured in the Joan L. Dunfey Exhibition. Courtesy photo.
• Virtual student performances: North Main Music School in Nashua will hold its 19th semi-annual student concert virtually as high-quality, full-resolution concert videos on Sunday, Nov. 8. Students will perform in the school’s studio space with professional video, sound and lighting. “Our student concerts … are a pivotal piece of the music school experience for so many of our students,” Mike McAdam, the school’s director and founder, said in a press release, also noting that proper safety and distancing protocols are in place. Recorded performances will have delayed release times on the school’s Facebook and Instagram throughout the day. The concert videos will also be available for download shortly after the concert weekend. Call 505-4282 or visit northmainmusic.com.
• A rockin’ musical: The British Rock Experience continues at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) now through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon. The two-act musical pays tribute to British rock ’n’ roll from the ’60s through today, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Bonnie Tyler, David Bowie, Queen, The Police, Adele and The Kinks. It features an original story, written by Palace Theatre Artistic Director Carl Rajotte, with elements of fantasy and steampunk. Tickets are free “so that people could have a chance to come out and have that firsthand experience to feel safe here,” Palace Theatre marketing coordinator Caroline Eby told the Hippo earlier this month. According to a press release, the theater is operating at half capacity to ensure adequate social distancing. Patrons are required to wear face coverings when entering and exiting the facility, waiting in lines, and transiting to and from the theater and restrooms, and are encouraged to wear them while seated watching the performance. Plexiglass barriers have been placed between staff and patrons at bars and the box office, and hand sanitizer stations are provided throughout the facility. Reserve tickets in advance. Visit palacetheatre.org or call the box office at 668-5588.
• Live organ music: The First Church (1 Concord St., Nashua) presents a concert, “Pops for Pipes IX,”on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m. as part of The First Music Concert Series’ 13th season, “Music Alive!” Organist Brink Bush will perform works by Mulet, Middelschulte, Walton and others. Admission is free. Masks are required, and seating will be socially distanced. Visit first-music.org or call 882-4861.
• Exhibit in person, reception online: The New Hampshire Art Association presents its 21st annual Joan L. Dunfey Exhibition now through Nov. 29 at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth), with a virtual opening reception and award ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. The exhibit features juried artwork in a variety of media by regional NHAA members and non-members following the theme “Intrinsic Moments.” One of the NHAA’s most prestigious exhibits of the year, according to the NHAA website, it is held in honor of Joan L. Dunfey, who was a resident of the New Hampshire seacoast and a steadfast patron of the arts. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• A U.S. theater premiere: Glass Dove Productions presents Mary and Me at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) Nov. 13 through Nov. 22, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The original play by Irene Kelleher, inspired by a true story, follows a pregnant 15-year-old girl and her search for understanding while growing up in 1986 Ireland. The production marks the beginning of the play’s premier tour in the U.S. The theater has limited its capacity to 40 percent, and masks are required. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for seniors and students and should be reserved in advance. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.
• Virtual author events: Gibson’s Bookstore of Concord has two virtual events coming up. On Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., author Terry Brooks will present The Last Druid, the fourth and final book in his post-apocalyptic fantasy series Shannara. He will be joined in conversation by fantasy author Robert V.S. Redick. Then, on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., poets Janet Sylvester and Olga Livshin will present their newest volumes of verse, And Not to Break (Sylvester) and A Life Replaced: Poems with Translations from Anna Akhmatova and Vladimir Gandelsman (Livshin). The events will be held on Zoom, and registration is required. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562.
• Change of plans for The Phil: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra announced in a press release that it has suspended all live events, normally held at the Seifert Performing Arts Center in Salem, until next year. The decision comes a month after the orchestra announced that it would be resuming live events in December. There may, however, be some livestream events in the nearer future. “We look forward to connecting with our audience again and sharing our passion with the community, whether it be livestreamed or in person come 2021,” the press release said. Updates will be posted at nhphil.org.
New tour highlights Concord-area arts organizations and artists
Handwoven baskets by featured artist Robin Hoyt of Hoytie Toytie Baskets. Courtesy photo.
Explore the arts in and around Concord on the Route 3 Art Trail, a new self-guided driving tour featuring arts destinations along the Route 3 corridor. The tour kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 7, with art exhibits, open studios, artist demonstrations, historic tours, family-friendly activities, refreshments and more at five different locations.
Adele Sanborn, owner of Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, came up with the idea for the Route 3 Art Trail after NH Open Doors, a statewide self-guided arts tour held annually the first weekend in November, was canceled this year.
“I wanted to create a new tradition in our area,” Sanborn said, “and one of Twiggs’ missions is to create opportunities for our local community to visit and participate in the arts.”
Twiggs will be one of the stops on the tour, along with Making Matters NH, a shared workspace for makers and artists, in Penacook; Kimball Jenkins, an art school and gallery in Concord; and two artist studios in Penacook.
“Each venue will have its own twist, and it will be worth visiting all venues,” Kimball Jenkins executive director Julianne Gadoury said.
During the tour, Twiggs will celebrate the opening of its Sleighbell Studio, a holiday exhibit with a variety of locally made fine art and crafts for sale. Visitors can also pick up a free make-your-own holiday card kit.
Making Matters NH will give tours of its 8,500-square-foot facility, which includes a wood shop, metal shop, prototyping and electronics lab, fiber arts studio, photography studio and private offices and open studios for rent. Resident artists will have their studios open with some of their handmade items for sale.
Kimball Jenkins will have artist demonstrations, art and craft vendors, cookies and hot chocolate and self-guided tours of its historic buildings.
Also on the tour will be artist Jo Shields’ Penacook studio. Shields creates mixed-metal jewelry that incorporates recycled objects. She will be joined by two other artists: Keira Chin of Kickin’ Glass Designs in Concord, presenting handcrafted whimsical scenes made from man-made and natural beach glass, and Lizz Van Saun of Kast Hill Studio in Hopkinton, presenting mosaic work made with recycled china, stained glass and found objects.
Robin Hoyt will have her studio, Hoytie Toytie Baskets in Penacook, open with a wide selection of her handwoven baskets and will be joined by 18 other local artisans displaying and selling baskets, pottery, jewelry, quilts, knitting, cards, soaps, food products and more.
Sanborn said all locations on the tour will be “following the rules of Covid safety with masks and alcohol wipes available.”
With the arts being “especially vulnerable right now,” Sanborn said, collaborative ventures like the Route 3 Art Trail are one way for artists and arts organizations to survive and thrive.
“Galleries and retail stores that sell [artists’] work are pretty much closed, or their visiting traffic is hugely off,” she said. “We are [launching the Art Trail] in hopes of creating another way that the public can safely shop, learn and support the arts.”
“When Adele suggested this project we jumped at the chance to be involved,” Making Matters NH president Laura Miller added. “These days, when we are so limited by Covid, we need to work together to leverage our resources and talent.”
Sanborn said she plans to make the Route 3 Art Trail an annual event held in November and possibly in the spring, and to grow the number of arts destinations on the tour.
“Route 3 extends quite a distance that we have not tapped yet,” she said. “We would love to create lots more spots [and] more artist studios.”
Route 3 Art Trail Where: Various locations in Concord, Boscawen and Penacook. When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Free More info: twiggsgallery.wordpress.com/route-3-art-trail Tour stops • Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen, 975-0015, twiggsexhibits.wordpress.com • Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com • Making Matters NH, 88 Village St., Penacook, 565-5443, makingmattersnh.org • Jo Shields Studio, 5 Steeple View, Penacook, jo-shields.com • Hoytie Toytie Baskets, 56 Washington St., Penacook
Exhibits
• “RICHARD HAYNES: WHISPERING QUILTS” Exhibit features a series of drawings inspired by traditional quilting patterns that tells the story of an enslaved family’s dangerous journey along the Underground Railroad, from a southern plantation to freedom in Canada. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. On view now through Nov. 29. Museum hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday through Wednesday. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and free for children under age 13. Reserve in advance online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org. • “MOMENTS IN NATURE” The New Hampshire Art Association presents oil paintings by BJ Eckardt. Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. Now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230. • “UNSEEN LIGHT” The New Hampshire Art Association presents infrared photography by Mark Giuliucci. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. Now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230. • “AN EXTRAPOLATION OF CLOSE OBSERVATION” The New Hampshire Art Association presents prints and paintings by Kate Higley. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. Now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230. • “SMALL WORKS – BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery’s annual holiday exhibit featuring small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Virtual. Now through Dec. 31. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.
Special events • NHAA 80TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY New Hampshire Art Association hosts a silent art auction fundraiser and anniversary celebration. Virtual, via Zoom. Reception and auction opening on Fri., Nov. 19, 6 to 7 p.m. Bidding runs through Dec. 11. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
Tours • NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org.
Theater
Shows • NUNSENSE The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Oct. 25 through Nov. 8, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $48. Visit seacoastrep.org. • THE BRITISH ROCK EXPERIENCE The Palace Theatre presents. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Now through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults, $30 for seniors age 60 and up and veterans and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.
Books
Poetry • JANET SYLVESTER AND OLGA LIVSHIN Poets present their newest volumes of verse, And Not to Break (Sylvester) and A Life Replaced: Poems with Translations from Anna Akhmatova and Vladimir Gandelsman (Livshin). Hosted by Gibson’s Bookstore of Concord. Thurs., Nov. 12, 7 p.m. Virtual, via Zoom. Registration required. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562. Writing • CALL FOR BLACK WRITERS New Hampshire-based theater company and playwright collective New World Theatre announces an open call to Black writers to submit monologues that reflect their personal experience of living while black, to be published in an anthology titled “08:46.” The deadline for submissions is Jan. 1, 2021. Visit newworldtheatre.org/08m46s.
Featured photo: “Sleighbell Studio” exhibit opens at Twiggs Gallery. Courtesy photo.
New Hampshire native Justin Spencer of Recycled Percussion shared a heartwarming message on the band’s Facebook page following its Chaos & Kindness events at Rossview Farm in Concord last weekend. He wrote that a woman approached him after waiting in line for hours in the cold to meet the band — because she wanted to personally thank them for their, well, kindness at an event in Manchester four years ago. The woman had been homeless, living in a park where Recycled Percussion had a concert. Halfway through the show, Spencer wrote, he stopped and asked the people at the gate to let the homeless and less fortunate to come in and enjoy the rest of the show. “She said that was the moment she fell in love with us and has been waiting for 4 years to share how that act of kindness impacted her. … She has since gotten her life back on track and headed in a better direction and today I could tell how special it was to share that moment with us,” Spencer wrote.
Score: +1
Comment:Spencer’s post garnered 6,600 likes and more than 400 comments.
Goodbye, election flyers, calls and commercials
While we appreciate everyone’s efforts to get people out to vote, QOL will not miss the relentless barrage of political mailers, phone calls, texts and ads that led up to the general election. It is quite possible that we still don’t know who our new president will be by the time this paper hits the streets, and no matter what the outcome, there will likely be some strong feelings from both sides. But guys, no more calls or texts blowing up your phone! No more giant mailers that fill half your recycling container! No more House Hunters episodes being ruined by the onslaught of campaign ads!
Score: +1
Comment:This is a win no matter what side you’re on.
Confronting stigmas
Brielle Paquette, a videographer from Salem, has been named October’s Granite Stater of the Month by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan. According to a press release, Paquette is using her talent for filmmaking to confront the stigma surrounding mental illness, in part by opening up about her own struggles with an anxiety disorder. Pre-Covid, her mom filmed her standing blindfolded in the middle of a crowded area in Boston while holding a sign that read “20-50 percent of adolescents struggle with mental illness. Hug to show support for people who are struggling.” This footage of strangers hugging her became part of a PSA she put together in 2019.
Score: +1
Comment:Paquette has since filmed other PSAs about mental illness, and she uses her platform as Miss Londonderry to promote the message as well. She’s currently starting work on a PSA on body positivity, according to the release.
Award-winning trails in New Hampshire
The national Coalition for Recreational Trails has honored two Granite State trail projects with the Tom Petri Recreational Trails Program Achievement Awards, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. In southern New Hampshire, the Monadnock Trail Improvement Project won in the Youth Conservation/Service Corps and Community Outreach Category. Work on that project was done by the SCA NH AmeriCorps conservation services crew, which spent 10 weeks improving 4.5 miles of trails at Monadnock State Park. The other project award went to the Milan Trail Huggers Nash Stream Bridge in Milan, which diverted ATVs farther from area homeowners, according to the release.
Score: +1
Comment:Improvements to Monadnock trails — one of the most hiked mountains in the world, according to the press release — included new rock steps and rock staircases, and the closure of unofficial trails that bypassed eroded areas.
QOL score: 63
Net change: +4
QOL this week: 67
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
It’s a week after the Dodgers had the World Series handed to them so everyone has had their say about Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash lifting starter Blake Snell in the sixth inning after just 70 pitches despite having allowed just two hits and striking out nine. So there’s no reason to belabor the level of boneheadedness of that decision beyond saying the following.
If you read this space regularly you won’t be surprised to hear me say that if Tampa Bay had to lose the World Series I’m glad it happened exactly the way it did. Second, I guarantee you when Cash was on his way to the mound to lift his untouchable starter for the uncertainty of a relief pitcher, every single person in the L.A. dugout knew he was giving them a far better chance at winning the game.
I’m not even sure we can blame Cash because he probably got a text from the stat geeks upstairs telling him what to do, or did it because he’s so programmed by their lunacy/propaganda that he relied solely on the so-called “data” rather than what his eyes were telling him in that moment. That would be to remove any pitcher, be it Koufax, Gibson, Mathewson or Jack Morris, before he faces a batting order the third time around no matter what the circumstances. But the icing on the cake is it was done by people so impressed with themselves that they affixed the term “advanced” to “analytics” in naming this New Age way of baseball thinking like they had just invented plutonium, and it led to the single dumbest decision in World Series history. Good job, fellas.
Now a few other thoughts from around baseball.
The best two post-Game 6 Twitter comments came from Famer Frank Thomas — “another analytics meltdown” — and Mets hurler Noah Syndergaard — “Who gets to pull the manager?” If I were on Twitter, mine would’ve been, “Guess Calvin Schiraldi wasn’t ready yet.”
Yes, a disappointing Red Sox season. But I’ll put it to you this way: If they had to have a season like this, wasn’t this the perfect time to do it?
With the Sox still looking for a manager as I write this, the bad news is that 76-year-old Tony La Russa is off the market. I’m guessing the White Sox hired such a young buck because Connie Mack and John McGraw weren’t available.
Baseball 101: Name the only two managers in history to win more games than La Russa.
OK, it paid immediate dividends with Mookie, but how has the $340 million spent for Bryce Harper paid off in Philly? While the numbers (35 and 114) in Year 1 were decent, they missed the playoffs his first two years there. Meanwhile manager Gabe Kapler got blamed/fired for their under-achieving (81-81) 2019 season before they went backward under replacement Joe Girardi to finish 28-32.
With Mookie gone and JBJR on his way out the door the Red Sox need a leader to go along with Xander Bogaerts. They also need a second baseman, lead-off hitter and center fielder, plus three relievers and two starters. Free agent George Springer checks three of those boxes. Not willing to go 10 years, but if it’s five years with a big number I’d consider it because he’s the anti-Harper, smart, tough, versatile and his 19 postseason homers in just 64 games show he’s clutch.
By going 4-1 Clayton Kershaw had a David Price-like redemption in the postseason. But it still only got him to 13-12 lifetime and that has me wondering why some guys are great regular season pitchers and so ordinary in the postseason. Ditto for 300-game-winners Greg Maddux (11-14) and Tom Glavine (14-16), mostly with Atlanta when it went to just two World Series during 14 straight postseason appearances. My theory is living on the black ate up bad to mediocre teams, but better line-ups in the postseason handled that much better.
One last thing about this not letting pitchers face a line-up the third time around. If the numbers back it up, it probably has more to do with the pitch count than ineptitude of good starters like Snell. By limiting pitchers to a certain number of pitches they’re not conditioned to go beyond their count (see Pedro, Game 7, 2003 ALCS) and thus are giving up hits because they’re tired, not because pitchers are actually ineffective the third time around. If that’s the case, how did Nolan Ryan pitch seven no-hitters, Sandy Koufax throw 134 pitches on two days rest to shut out the Twins in Game 7 of the 1965 Series after throwing 130 in his Game 5 shutout, or Jack Morris go 10 innings for his 1-0 Game 7 win over Atlanta in the 1991 Series?
Baseball 101 Answer: The only two with more managerial wins than La Russa’s 2,728 are the aforementioned Connie Mack and John McGraw, whom he’ll pass early in 2021 unless he gets hit by a bus during spring training. While Mack’s 3,731 wins are the most in history, he also had 3,948 losses to actually be under .500. How’d he pull that off? Because people who own a team rarely fire themselves. As for McGraw, he lasted for 30 years with the Giants mainly because everyone was afraid of him, though having a .586 winning percentage with his 2,731 wins probably helped.
Those who think baseball is dying a slow death just got more ammo. The Fox TV audience in 2020 averaged a lowest-ever 9.7 million viewers per telecast. Last year it was 14.1 million and 2020 was off a whopping 32 percent from 2012’s previous low 12.6 million viewers as the Giants swept Detroit. So the question is why — indifference to the Covid season, more entertainment options, it included a team whose own city doesn’t care about them, or the slide to “go for broke homer or strike out” stat geek baseball?
My vote goes to robot managers and that the lack of constant action/pace is catching up with it.
New Hampshire Humanities has named David Watters as the recipient of its 2020 Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities award, which celebrates individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the humanities in New Hampshire. Watters talked about the humanities work he has done during his years as a UNH professor, NH Humanities board member and New Hampshire State Senator.
What is your background in the humanities?
I taught English and American studies at the University of New Hampshire for 39 years, and I retired about three years ago. My work was on New Hampshire and New England culture and literature. I did a lot of work studying early burying grounds and the symbols on gravestones, and I did a lot on New Hampshire Black history and New Hampshire political history and New Hampshire writers. … One of the big projects I did was I co-edited the Encyclopedia of New England— 1.2 million words and 900 contributors and everything you thought you knew or didn’t know about New England.
What have you done with New Hampshire Humanities?
When I started doing projects with New Hampshire Humanities, what I loved about it was that it was an opportunity to get off campus … and really connect to the people in the libraries, historical societies and places of work, and to kind of really put down roots and bring the ideas and conversations out to New Hampshire communities. I spent 35 years working with New Hampshire Humanities, doing programs around the state, doing institutes for teachers in the summer on New Hampshire history and literature and culture, doing a lot on bringing Black history and awareness of Black authors in New Hampshire to the general public, and working on projects about immigrant communities.
What areas of the humanities are you especially passionate about?
As a professor, of course, I’ve intrinsically found literature and history going back several centuries interesting and always wanted to teach my students about it. But what makes my work with New Hampshire Humanities different [from teaching] is that we’re trying to connect people to ideas today. What can we learn from our past, both good things and the bad things? How does [history] make a difference for us today and how we live, how we treat each other, what our values are and how we live up to our ideals as a community and as a state? … I think learning how people have struggled in the past and connecting to that history helps us talk about contemporary things as well … and by having those conversations, we can live up to our values.
What other kinds of humanities work have you done in New Hampshire?
I’ve been able to serve on a lot of boards of trustees. I’ve been on the board of the New Hampshire Historical Society. I’ve been on the board of … the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. I’m also the New Hampshire legislative commissioner for the Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission, which regulates fisheries from Maine to Florida. … I was on the Robert Frost Homestead board … and on the board of the Dover Adult Learning Center.
What have you been up to lately?
The most recent project I’ve done connected to the New Hampshire Humanities is helping to create a Black Heritage Trail tour of Concord … to honor the history of slavery and of African-Americans, abolitionists and more contemporary African-Americans who made Concord their home, with a focus on political history, since it’s in Concord.
Has your work in the humanities tied into your work as a State Senator?
Humanities are about people’s values, and it’s good to have a law that’s founded on values, so in that way, I think a legislature can be really strengthened by an understanding of the humanities. … It’s been a good blend for me, and I’ve been able to translate a lot of my work with history and the humanities into legislation. … One [example] is that I got a bill passed to create a [substance abuse] recovery monument in New Hampshire — the first in the country — which would recognize the history of recovery and those who have been lost to it, and celebrate those people who are in recovery. … There have been organizations in New Hampshire working for recovery for a couple of centuries now … so it’s a way of bringing our past into a very public place, which I think is important for our communities.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I worked as a carpenter way back when I was in high school and college and for a year after college, so I have a shop in the basement. … I’m on the board of corporators for Canterbury Shaker Village, so I make Shaker boxes and Shaker oval boxes, plus a lot of other things. When I get time to go down to the basement, I’m happy.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
On Oct. 25, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Exhibits V and W 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 V, in order to mitigate staffing concerns in police departments across the state, part-time officers who have not attended the full-time police academy will continue to be allowed to work during the pandemic. Per Exhibit W, in accordance with Emergency Order No. 12, the state’s Current Use Advisory Board will hold one public forum via phone and Webex in lieu of three in-person meetings. The forum will take place Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m.
On Oct. 27, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 71, an order temporarily suspending the penalty for a school’s failure to file a financial report showing receipts and expenditures to the state Department of Education.
On Oct. 30, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-21, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the Covid-19 pandemic for another three weeks through at least Nov. 20. It’s the 11th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency on March 13.
In the last week, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services announced two additional potential community exposures linked to positive cases of Covid-19, both at the Atkinson Resort & Country Club. The first one was announced on Oct. 27, with potential community exposure dates inside both Merrill’s Tavern and the Stagecoach Grille on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from noon to 7:30 p.m., and on Thursday, Oct. 22, from noon to 11:30 p.m. A second notice was issued on Oct. 30 in the same location, with more possible exposures, on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Monday, Oct. 26, from 4 to 9:45 p.m. Anyone who was there on any of those dates and times should monitor for symptoms and seek testing.
State health officials also announced 205 new positive infections on Oct. 31, the most reported in New Hampshire in a single day since the start of the pandemic in March. In a statement addressing this, Sununu said he expects cases to rise as community transmission increases. “As we enter these winter months, it will be more important than ever to wear your mask, practice social distancing, and maintain proper hand hygiene,” he said.
Details of all of Sununu’s Emergency Orders, Executive Orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.
Inferior food
The New Hampshire congressional delegation has sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue regarding concerns that the products the New Hampshire Food Bank has been receiving do not meet nutritional standards, according to a press release. The USDA contracts with farms to provide food to state food banks through its Farmers Families Food Box Program; New Hampshire’s current distributor is Delaware-based Vincent Farms. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas said in the letter that the distributor for the program from the previous round, Costa Fruit & Produce, provided high-quality products for families in need, while the product provided by Vincent Farms was of “enormously inferior nutritional quality.” The letter also alleged that the USDA is paying more than the food boxes being provided by Vincent Farms have been estimated to be worth. “We understand that the USDA is paying $40 – $60 per box under the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. However, the cost per box of food provided to the New Hampshire Food Bank by the round three distributor has been estimated to equal $10 – $12. This significant discrepancy in value indicates a large potential profit opportunity for this distributor,” the letter reads. The delegation has asked the USDA to investigate the matter before it awards the fourth round of contracts for the program.
PFAS report
Last week, the Commission on the Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Perfluorinated Chemicals released its first Interim Report to highlight its initial assessments on the impacts of PFAS in the air, soil and groundwater in Merrimack, Bedford and Litchfield. The report includes recommendations such as extending the statute of limitations on chemical and PFAS-related injury, establishing a policy related to the identification of any PFAS chemicals that pose a concern to public health and/or the environment, create and implement educational standards and practices related to health implications of PFAS chemicals for all health care personnel, and require any source company responsible for water and soil contamination to be responsible for the costs of medical monitoring over a long-term basis for those exposed. The full report with all recommendations and findings can be seen at gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1495.
At-home-school tool
Parents have a new resource to help them support their children’s at-home learning. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education, the Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide will help parents use digital tools and resources, and it outlines the benefits and challenges of remote learning. “As New Hampshire families adjust to remote and hybrid instruction, parents remain essential in supporting students, and keeping them on track,” New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release. “This new Digital Learning Guide is a great tool for parents and caregivers to meet this challenge.” Access the guide at nhlearnsremotely.com.
EnVision Center
Harbor Care in Nashua has been designated as the first EnVision Center in New Hampshire, creating a centralized hub to provide resources to people in need, according to a press release. The EnVision Center program is run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and provides services for HUD-assisted families. Harbor Care is one of more than 60 EnVision Centers in the country, but only the third in New England. The center supports four key pillars of self-sufficiency, according to the release: economic empowerment, educational advancement, health and wellness and character and leadership. “Harbor Care’s designation as an EnVision Center provides those chances for success for low-income residents,” Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said in the release. “It makes even stronger Nashua’s existing support network for individuals and families in need of not just housing and financial support, but actual tools to guide them on a brighter path.”
Tons of drugs
During National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 26, New Hampshire collected nearly 17,000 pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs, as well as electronic vaping devices and cartridges, according to a press release. Throughout New England, the Drug Enforcement Administration collected more than 57 tons at 586 collection sites. This is in comparison to the first National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in September 2010, when the division collected 25,810 pounds of unwanted drugs. Massachusetts and Maine had the highest tallies (40,284 pounds and 40,100 pounds, respectively). New Hampshire collected 16,840 pounds, while Connecticut collected 8,002 pounds, Rhode Island collected 6,218 pounds and Vermont collected 4,498 pounds, according to the release.
Concord’s fall leaf collection started Monday with bulk leaf collection and bagged collection will start Nov. 23 for residents with curbside trash collection, continuing (weather permitting) through Dec. 11, according to a press release. For more details about how this year’s process will work, visit concordnh.gov.
Several roads will be closed for the Manchester City Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 a.m., according to a press release. Starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, Elm Street from Pleasant Street to Merrimack Street will be closed until 5 p.m. Sunday. Starting at 6 a.m. Sunday, Elm Street between Granite and Bridge streets will be closed, and portions of the following roads will be closed: Hanover, Merrimack, Central, Spring, McGregor and Granite streets, and the Bridge Street Bridge. All roads will be reopened by 5 p.m.
The Hopkinton and Warner Historical Societies will present a virtual discussion about the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. The Zoom talk is free; for login information, email director@hopkintonhistory.org or info@warnerhistorical.org.
Nashua will hold its final Household Hazardous Waste Collection of 2020 on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nashua City Park & Ride, 25 Crown St. Residents from Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham can participate, according to a press release. The cost is a $15 user fee per vehicle, with extra charges for waste that exceeds 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Latex paint, electronics and medications will not be accepted.
In a curious way, the pandemic has closed us into our houses and into ourselves at precisely the time when there is so much at stake in our state, our country and the world that would call forth our efforts and actions. For many this brings great worry and frustration. There are so many needs, so many competing causes, and so many voices, often strident, angry and competing. Many friends say they have quit following the news or have severely curtailed their watching, listening or social media engagement, looking instead for some peace and quiet to find meaning in all this.
As a retired professor of comparative religion I am familiar with many forms of retreat, reflection and inward turning. But I know, too, that inward growth, nurtured in quietude and silence, can give purpose and energy to outward action. My daily morning meditation takes its start from some reading chosen from my library. Today’s seemed especially timely. It is “A Prayer for the world” by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner. I share it here so that it might serve others as it has me.
A Prayer for the World
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nourished over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender, or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness so that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors. Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen
