March 2021 – Page 5

Coach B goes nuts

For card-carrying members of Patriot Nation, with Bill Belichick going away from type to blow up the first week of NFL free agency by bringing in 13 new faces, it was quite a week. It was the talk of the league and the biggest sports story of the week. But with the NCAA Basketball Tournament kicking off, the Celtics season collapsing, the Red Sox close to beginning with anonymous faces all over the roster and the Bruins also operating there’s a lot going on. So with that my brain is about to explode if I don’t clear some room by sharing the following today.

At the risk of earning a scolding from my friend Bill (Wright) Clayton, I should admit that what the Bruins are doing is mostly in the dark for me.

Think it’s the pandemic, which has messed with my head by throwing off the regular calendar. I couldn’t get into the Masters in fall, UNH football in the spring, baseball at all and even my usual enthusiasm for the NCAA Tournament, which should be of really high interest with Gonzaga having a chance to have the first undefeated season since Indiana in 1976-77.

Ditto (again) for baseball, but it’s more for Chaim Bloom dismantling the 2018 outfield and a pitching staff that seems to have been recruited from the FBI’s Witness Protection Program. Or maybe I just don’t have the patience to wait out whatever Bloom’s master plan is.

On the plus side, I am curious about current prodigal minor-leaguer son Jarren Duran. Ditto for a full season of Bobby Dalbec. Someone said in the Boston Globe the other day that every time he sees him he thinks of Tony Conigliaro. High praise indeed since he was the second youngest player to reach 100 homers in MLB history.

Sports 101: Who was the youngest player to reach 100 homers?

Hearing Danny Ainge talk about the dumpster fire the season is turning into makes me think he doesn’t get how much trouble the Celtics are in.

I think Brad Stevens has done a very good job overall here, but if going home is appealing I’d say take the Indiana job, because the biggest thing the C’s need is a new voice, one that will come with a large boot to kick them in the tail, because they are too accepting of losses.

If you like to keep track of these things, the now 22-year-old Collin Sexton, whom the Cavaliers took with the lottery pick the Celtics gave them in the Kyrie Irving trade, is averaging 24.2 points per game, and for Terry Rozier, who walked the plank for Kemba Walker, it’s 20. Meanwhile the hobbled and struggling Kemba’s at 17.1 while making $12 million more per year.

Lakers sixth man from the 1980s glory days Michael Cooper gets my vote for the Hall of Fame. With all due respect to Dennis Rodman, Robert Reid and Paul Pressey, nobody gave Larry Bird more trouble. So that and being a real contributor to five titles puts him in for me.

One final word on Coach B’s spending spree: So much for the idea that after the disintegration of the Brady-Belichick relationship players would no longer want to come to Gille tte as free agents.

Don’t know if it was an all-time MLB record, but Johnny Damon allegedly blew a .3 on the breathalyzer a couple of weeks back in Florida. That got him arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, to which he later pleaded not guilty. Danno also booked his wife Michelle on charges of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence, according to news reports. Damon reportedly tried everything to get let off including the old chestnut, “I‘m 200 yards from my house,” and the new chestnut, “I know I‘m being targeted because I support Donald Trump,” all of which probably renews his membership in the Idiots Club for another 10 years.

I know he was a terrific player, but sorry, I don’t get the who-ha over Drew Brees joining NBC. I get the great white whale hunt for Peyton Manning because broadcasting is about insight and personality and he’s got both. Brees may have insight, but so did Joe Montana and he was a disaster because the personality wasn’t there, and I fear Brees’ blandness will lead to a similar outcome.

And in a related note, with Brees retiring, Tom Brady will be the all-time leader in TD passes and passing yards with no one on the horizon for at least 15 years.

Sports 101 Answer: The youngest to reach 100 homers was the forgotten great New York Giant Mel Ott. He got to the majors at 17 in 1926 and reached 100 at 22 helped by going for 42 homers and 151 RBI while batting .328 when he was just 20. With 504 he was the third to reach 500 and the NL leader until Willie Mays passed him in 1965.

I thought I’d heard or read all the Yogisms there were, but I just ran across two new ones. His wife, Carmen, asked him while they were estate planning, “You’re born in St. Louis, you live in New Jersey and you played ball in New York. So if you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?” To which Yogi said, “Surprise me.” Then there is when he and Reggie Jackson are watching the names of baseball legends who had died over that year scroll on the scoreboard as they’re read to the Old-Timers Day crowd, when Yogi looks up at Reggie and says, “I hope I never see my name up there for that.”

Close to home

Transitional housing in Nashua gives families a fresh start

Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire has opened a new transitional housing facility in Nashua for families experiencing homelessness. Executive director Pamela Wellman talked about the facility’s amenities and programs and the demographic they serve.

How did Family Promise come to acquire this new building?

We were on the grounds of the Presentation of Mary Academy in Hudson … for almost 18 years. … Then, we found [the property formerly occupied by] Infant Jesus School in downtown Nashua … and have gone through a six-month capital campaign and renovation project … to build a beautiful brand new home for our mission and for our families. We worked very closely with the City of Nashua … and we got a $2.7 million grant through Gov. Sununu’s New Hampshire CARES Act and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority … so there have been a lot of partnerships supporting us throughout this whole thing. … We were able to bring our first families in on Feb. 15. Starting on March 29, we’ll be able to bring in the second phase of families. … Our capital campaign will continue for the next two years … to sustain the program operationally, and to support the families.

What is the new facility like?

It’s 35,000 square feet — twice the size of our former facility — with 48 bedrooms, which translates to about 25 family units, so about 80 or 90 people. It’s got a beautiful dining area, a commercial kitchen, a laundry facility and plenty of storage space. … Each family has their own bath … and refrigerator space and cabinet space. They’ve got everything they need. They have a real home here, and they live a real life here. … We also have a filtration system, so if a family does contract Covid, they can quarantine in their units; we don’t have to place them elsewhere and put that burden on the community.

Who does Family Promise serve?

There are so many transitional housing and shelter programs in Greater Nashua, and we each share a certain piece of the pie when it comes to homelessness. Ours is family; we take families — moms and dads with children, single fathers and single mothers with children, and families however they identify themselves — and we keep them together. … Sixty-five percent of our community is children.

Aside from providing transitional housing, how does Family Promise help families experiencing homelessness regain independence?

One of the programs people work once they come here is financial literacy. … They have to save up to 75 percent of their disposable income in their own savings account so they get used to budgeting and paying rent again. We supply their food, toiletries and daily living supplies so that they can start saving that money. … Working full-time is a requirement … because you can’t save money unless you’ve got income, right? It’s not a handout. They’ve got to do the hard work, but we guide them through it. If people don’t have a job, we help them with their resume and help them look for jobs and realize their potential as professionals and career-builders.

We help them regain driver’s licenses and vehicles, if they don’t already have them. We help them get back in school to finish a certification so they can maximize their professional acumen. … We offer parenting and family advocacy courses to help them navigate any emotional trauma that homelessness has put on them as well as their children. … We’ve also got tons of great youth programs and activities here so that kids can take a deep breath and learn to play and be kids again.

What are some of the circumstances leading to families seeking transitional housing?

The stereotypical idea of what homelessness is — the impoverished person living under the bridge — is an important population of people to serve, but that’s not the only face of homelessness. Homelessness among children and youth ages 18 to 24 in New Hampshire is staggering. We see a lot of younger families who don’t have the support system of family or friends outside of themselves to help them get through [homelessness] and have no other place to go. … People don’t realize that one of the most prominent faces of homelessness is the average working family making minimum to slightly-higher-than-minimum wage. They are the ones that fall through the cracks. The current housing market doesn’t support them. They don’t qualify for many lower-income supports, but they don’t make enough money to get back up on their feet. … We’ve all seen the tremendous impact that Covid has had on these middle-class families, or have been personally affected by it. One crisis — a job loss, having to take a lesser-paying job, a family break-up or divorce, or a health tragedy — can send them spiralling into homelessness.

How would you describe the community at Family Promise?

It becomes a family. So many of our graduates become best friends because there’s a comfort in knowing that you’re not alone and that there are other people going through the same thing. … Sixty-five percent of our graduates actually come back and volunteer here and [remain a] part of our extended family.

Featured photo: Pamela Wellman Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/03/25

Covid-19 update	As of March 15	As of March 22
Total cases statewide	78,813	80,750
Total current infections statewide	2,064	2,334
Total deaths statewide	1,199	1,217
New cases	1,753 (March 9 to March 15)	1,937 (March 16 to March 22)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	640	756
Current infections: Merrimack County	211	195
Current infections: Rockingham County	509	633

Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On March 15, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive Covid-19 cases associated with the King of the Mat wrestling tournament, which was held on March 6 at The Rim Sports Complex in Hampton. Anyone who attended the tournament between 5 and 10 p.m. that day, according to health officials, should be monitoring symptoms and should seek testing.

The state launched its new Vaccine & Immunizations Network Interface website on March 17, at 8 a.m., according to a press release, just in time for Phases 2A and 2B vaccine appointment scheduling to begin. The new VINI platform is a state-run site, transitioning New Hampshire away from the federally run VAMS portal. During the state’s public health update in a March 18 press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu said the system was loaded with about 200,000 first-dose appointments through the month of April. He said the state is on pace to expand vaccine access to all adults over the age of 16 in New Hampshire within weeks. “We don’t have a firm date on that yet,” he said, “but it really is just weeks away that any adult citizen in the state of New Hampshire will be able to go to VINI and sign up for their vaccine as well.” As of March 18, about 12 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services. “To date, 31 regional clinics have been held with 6,500 people in Phase 2A vaccinated,” Daly said later during the press conference. “An additional 36 regional clinics are scheduled through the end of March, with plans to vaccinate another 20,000 people.”

Registration for Phase 2B, which includes people between the ages of 50 and 64, opened on March 22, with the first appointments beginning on March 25. Hundreds of thousands of newly eligible registrants encountered problems on the site as soon as they were able to log in at 8 a.m., according to a report from WMUR, with many others who called 211 not being able to get through on the phone. “An unprecedented volume of web traffic was experienced this morning, a good sign that Granite Staters are ready and eager to receive their vaccine,” Sununu said in the March 22 report. “Registrations have been accepted and continue to be processed at an increasing pace, with over 35,000 having scheduled an appointment within the first three hours.”

Funding input

The office of Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig issued a press release last week asking Queen City residents to share ideas on how to spend the federal funds that the city will be getting from the American Rescue Plan Act. According to the press release, Manchester will receive approximately $44 million over two years. Though it’s waiting for more guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on how exactly the funds can be used, the idea is to help with local economic recovery, which includes things like assistance to households, small businesses and nonprofits, assistance to hard-hit industries like tourism, travel, and hospitality, premium pay for essential workers and infrastructure investment. Craig is asking residents to share their Covid-19 stories, specifically how it’s impacted them and how they’d like to see the funds used. “For over a year, our community has felt the widespread negative impacts of Covid-19. This is the first time the City of Manchester is receiving direct funding, and we want to ensure it’s used to best meet the needs of our community,” Craig said in the release. Contact the mayor’s office or fill out a form at bit.ly/ARP4MHT.

Homeless Assessment

Last week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1 and, according to a press release, the report found that 1,675 people experienced homelessness in New Hampshire on a single night in 2020, which is an increase of 20 percent from 2019. HUD releases its report in two parts; Part 1 is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night, conducted during the last 10 days of January each year, so these numbers are pre-Covid. Other key findings in New Hampshire: Unsheltered homelessness increased 133 percent, with 199 people counted in 2019 compared to 348 in 2020. Also seeing increases were family homelessness, veteran homelessness and chronic homelessness. Youth homelessness is down 22.6 percent, according to the press release.

Rachel Budd from Bow High School has been selected as the alternate winner of the 2021 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud High School Championship, according to a press release from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Budd will fill in for winner Lilla Bozek from Newmarket High School if Bozek can’t participate in the national finals. Bozek received $200 and Newmarket High School got a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books, while Budd received $100, plus a $200 stipend for Bow High School’s poetry book collection.

Detective Justin Breton has been named 2020 Officer of the Year for the Manchester Police Department, where he’s served since 2010, according to a press release. He has been a patrol officer, a juvenile detective, a detective with the Investigative Division and a SWAT negotiator, he is the director of the Manchester Police Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and he’s the primary handler of Manchester’s comfort dog, Patch.

Beth Greenwood of Amherst is the first American-born female catcher of an NCAA baseball team. According to a report from WMUR, Greenwood is a junior at the University of Rochester in New York, and she has earned a spot on the roster of her school’s baseball team. She has never played softball; she was on the baseball team at Souhegan High School, according to the report.

The CHaD NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game, which will feature more than 80 of New Hampshire’s best football players taking the field to raise money for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, will also be a tribute to Londonderry High School football captain Jacob Naar, who was killed in a car accident on March 12. According to a press release, his family has chosen to fulfill his wishes of fundraising for the game, and his team will not replace Naar on the roster; instead his teammates will honor his memory at the game, which is scheduled for July.

Frayed social circles

Walking and talking is the new coffee date. I’m glad; I relish any opportunity to combine fresh air, movement and conversation. By necessity, though, many interactions now take place online, either Zoom meetings where you can’t really talk, even when unmuted, or FaceTime chats. This got me thinking about who I have or have not been keeping up with during the pandemic.

To our surprise, a professional friend and I recently found ourselves bemoaning the loss of rubber chicken dinners. If you haven’t had the pleasure, these were large-scale annual meetings, fundraisers and award ceremonies hosted by organizations from nonprofits to political groups to media outlets. In spring there were a handful of must-attend events where leaders and lobbyists, mentors and movers, accomplished honorees and ambitious newcomers alike would gather. Frequent flyers might run into each other at functions every week or two in the fall. We used to grumble mildly about lukewarm food or lengthy speakers; nowwe yearn for a chance to mill around in a room full of even tangential acquaintances. In this year of social distancing, we’ve been keeping up pretty well with our family and close friends, but our circle has frayed at the edges.

Why does this matter? The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull recently explored the issue. While close relationships have long been recognized as essential to well-being, the pandemic has underscored that casual friends are important, too. They make us feel part of a community, part of the world. They make mundane errands enjoyable. They introduce us to new business and recreational opportunities, information, issues and ideas. “Peripheral connections tether us to the world at large; without them, people sink into the compounding sameness of closed networks.”

Even before the pandemic, surveys by StayWorkPlay, the organization that helps New Hampshire attract young workers, revealed many found it hard to make friends here. Some cited a lack of gathering places, others the lack of diversity. They felt a sense of “aloneness.” The pandemic has exacerbated this. When asked what she seeks going forward, a college student I know from church said, “If I could change something, [it would be] getting those little intimate connections back, the ones that make us a community, the greetings on the street, catching up with an old friend, the feeling that you are intimately part of a larger group.”

It’s time to rekindle our acquaintanceship. Want to go for a walk?

Susan Hatem, former Director of Programs and Grant Making at New Hampshire Humanities, is a CASA of NH guardian ad litem and a connector, mentor and writer. Email her at susanh8m@gmail.com.

Tasting Tour 03/25/2021

View entire selection throughout the years here

Eats for Easter

Where to go for dine-in or takeout brunch for Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is fast approaching (Sunday, April 4), and if you’re wondering where to go to celebrate it this year, check out this list of local restaurants, bakeries and homestead companies offering specialty items. Many that are accepting dine-in reservations for brunch or dinner are also offering takeout orders to go this year. Do you know of a local eatery offering Easter specialties that’s not on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• 603 Charcuterie (Derry, 603charcuterie.com) is taking orders for Easter-themed charcuterie boards, featuring Bell and Goose Cheese Co. cheeses, assorted meats, preserves, jams and jellies, nuts and candies. A larger-sized option also includes Easter-themed cupcakes and doughnuts from the Bearded Baking Co. of Manchester. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, and Sunday, April 4, at Creative Chef Kitchens (35 Manchester Road, Derry).

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call to make a reservation.

• Ashley’s Eats & Sweets (Raymond, ashleys.eats.and.sweets@gmail.com, find them on Facebook) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, like macarons, iced sugar cookies, crinkle cookies, M&M cookies, cookie kits and cocoa bombs. Specialty Easter baskets are also available, featuring one cocoa bomb, three iced cookies, three crinkle cookies and three M&M cookies. Order by March 30.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) is accepting Easter Sunday reservations now for both Merrill’s Tavern and the Stagecoach Grille, featuring specialty menu items like baked ham, baked haddock, prime rib, stuffed filet mignon, seared scallops, grilled vegetable ravioli and more.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet in its Great Hall on Sunday, April 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., as well as a three-course prix fixe dinner from 2 to 7 p.m. The brunch menu will include chef-attended omelet and Belgian waffle stations, charcuterie and cheese displays, smoked ham and roasted leg of lamb carved to order, and other assorted breakfast and lunch items. The dinner will include your choice of a first course (celery root bisque, New England clam chowder, pea tendril and watercress salad or spring bean and arugula salad); an entree (grilled tournedos, pistachio and matcha-crusted Icelandic cod loin, smoked North Country ham, herb crusted leg of lamb, herb-marinated Scottish salmon, or house-made casarecce); and a dessert (Irish cream torte, vanilla bean creme brulee, buttermilk panna cotta, strawberry Charlotte royale, or lemongrass ice cream). The cost for the brunch buffet is $65 for adults and $32 for kids ages 10 and under. The cost for the dinner is $65 for adults and $34.95 for kids ages 10 and under. Reservations are required for both.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for Easter, including pies (apple, Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, grasshopper or chocolate cream); cakes (carrot, coconut, chocolate mousse, lemon daisy and Black Forest gateaux); Easter egg or bunny shortbread cookies, lemon tarts and more. Order by March 27. Pickups will be on Friday, April 2, or Saturday, April 3.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929) and Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522) are taking orders for several items for Easter, including cakes (carrot, hummingbird, double chocolate or gluten-free lemon blueberry); and pies (chocolate cream, key lime or mixed berry crumble); as well as assorted breakfast and dessert pastry trays, Parker House rolls, cinnamon rolls and hot cross buns. Order by March 31 via phone or online at buckleysbakerycafe.com.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open on Easter (Sunday, April 4) from noon to 5 p.m.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for dinners of either maple-glazed pork loin or herb and Dijon-encrusted leg of lamb for Easter, both of which can come in two sizes (servings of four or of six to eight) and feature shallot whipped potatoes, lemon honey caramelized carrots and sauteed asparagus. Order by March 29 at 2 p.m.

• Castleton Waterfront Dining on Cobbetts (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) is taking orders for a variety of to-go items for Easter, including dinner packages of spiral glazed ham or roast leg of lamb with herbs. Both serve eight to 10 people and come with various sides, like roasted red bliss potatoes, spring peas, pan gravy and dinner rolls. Other a la carte items include tenderloin of beef, roast pork loin with cranberry apple stuffing, sides by the quart, assorted hors d’oeuvres like scallop and bacon skewers and crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, and desserts like carrot cake or ice cream pie with Kahlua sauce. Order by March 31 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• City Moose Cafe & Catering Co. (30 Temple St., Nashua, 943-5078, citymoosenh.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners featuring maple-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes and buttered tri-colored carrots, as well as a “rabbit munch” salad with local hydroponic greens, strawberries, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinaigrette, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. Order by March 29 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, from 1 to 2 p.m.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) is taking reservations for dine-in Easter meals on Sunday, April 4, with seatings at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., as well as takeout pre-ordering and free delivery. Items include first courses like French onion soup, spinach and artichoke dip and bacon-wrapped scallops; and entrees like chicken marsala, roast prime rib of beef, seafood linguine alfredo and lobster macaroni and cheese.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for Easter, with seatings on Sunday, April 4, between noon and 6 p.m. Items include your choice of a first course (lemon chicken noodle soup, slovak beet and buttermilk soup, spring greens salad, asparagus and chioggia beet salad, local farmer’s cheese and spinach pierogi, or red beet deviled eggs); an entree (Greek-style roasted leg of lamb, maple and cider mustard glazed ham, prime rib, scallops, rabbit pot pie or carrot spaetzle) and a dessert (Easter chocolate trio of a chocolate mousse, mini chocolate peanut butter cake and a chocolate bunny, maple walnut carrot cake, strawberry rhubarb pie, lavender creme brulee or rose sorbet).

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; Foster’s Boiler Room, 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Italian Farmhouse, 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth, 536-4536; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; Camp, 300 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners for four to go, featuring oven-roasted ham with honey glaze, creamy leek scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, cider-infused mashed sweet potatoes, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, house baked rolls and carrot cake for dessert. Additional optional a la carte items include oven-roasted turkey with pan gravy, macaroni and cheese and a Sriracha deviled eggs kit (makes one dozen). Order by March 29. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for several specialty items for Easter, like pies (apple, apple crumb, blueberry, chocolate cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue and many others), as well as pastries, like muffins, doughnuts, cinnamon buns and Danishes; assorted pastry platters, cookies, cheesecakes, and savory offerings, like gorton, meat pie with pork and beef, salmon pie and Boston baked beans. Order by March 31 for pickup on Friday, April 2, or by April 1 for pickup on Saturday, April 3.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for several specialty baked goods and sweet treats for Easter, like hot cross or cinnamon buns, pies (flavors include coconut cream, chocolate cream, lemon meringue, apple streusel, forest berry crumb and many others); cakes (flavors include carrot, blueberry lemon mousse, raspberry coconut and flourless chocolate torte); and quiches available with a variety of filling options, like bacon, sausage, marinated tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Pepper Jack cheese or goat cheese. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required due to limited seating availability.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring an egg and omelet station, a carving station with slow-roasted prime rib of beef and baked ham with a honey and maple glaze, various other breakfast and lunch options, and assorted drinks and desserts. Reservations are required.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like assorted Easter egg cookies, cottontail bunny cakes, carrot cake cheesecake or cheesecake cups, cupcakes, mini pies, cream puff pastry trays and more.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse Butchery (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a variety of breakfast and lunch items, a salad bar, pastries, parfaits and more. Reservations are required. Starting March 28, Gauchos will also be opening for brunch every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like blue, pink and lavender marshmallow Peeps, milk, dark or white chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs, and Easter baskets of assorted chocolate.

• Just Like Mom’s Pastries (353 Riverdale Road, Weare, 529-6667, justlikemomspastries.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty baked goods and sweet treats for Easter, like cakes (carrot, spring sherbert mousse, lemon cheesecake with strawberry topping or raspberry coconut cake); assorted breakfast pastries, like sticky buns, cinnamon sticks and filled croissants; quiches (ham and Swiss, bacon, tomato and onion, spinach and feta or broccoli and cheddar); and fruit pies (strawberry rhubarb, three-berry, raspberry or cherry). Other specialty pies include the Elvis, with peanut graham cracker, chocolate pastry cream, Bananas Foster and a whipped peanut butter topping); and a blueberry and strawberry pie with an oat almond crumb topping. Order by March 27. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898; 14 Route 111, Derry; labellewinerynh.com) will serve a three-course plated brunch for Easter on Sunday, April 4, with seatings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Amherst and one seating at 11 a.m. at its new location in Derry. Menu offerings include your choice of herb-marinated Statler chicken breast, mustard-crusted Atlantic salmon, apricot-glazed smoked ham, and spring vegetable and goat cheese quiche, as well as multiple optional add-ons, like an artisan cheese and charcuterie board, smoked salmon or freshly sliced fruit. Reservations are required. The Easter Bunny will also be in attendance to take socially distanced photos.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) is taking reservations now for Easter, offering special meals that include your choice of one appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. Menu staples include appetizers like tomato bisque, Swedish meatballs, fresh fruit plates with sorbet; Caesar salad or garden salad with blue cheese, house ranch, raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette dressing; entrees like roast leg of lamb, baked honey glazed ham, baked stuffed jumbo shrimp, maple salmon or vegetarian baked eggplant Parmesan; and desserts like lemon mascarpone cake, chocolate ganache cake, carrot cake, tiramisu cake and bread pudding.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open on Easter (Sunday, April 4) from noon to 5 p.m.

• Nelson’s Candy and Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like handmade chocolate egg “boxes” and assorted Easter baskets filled with chocolate foil eggs, gummy bears, jelly beans and other assorted candies.

• Oak & Grain Restaurant (Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London, 873-4833, innatpleasantlake.com) will serve a three-course prix fixe brunch menu for Easter on Sunday, April 4, with open seating between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a five-course dinner menu from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Takeout is also available.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for a variety of seasonal items for Easter, including pizzagaina (ricotta pie with Italian meats), wood-fired lamb tips, brown sugar glazed ham, chicken Parmesan and shrimp and scallop scampi, plus desserts through its sister company Custom Eats & Sweets, like giant breakable chocolate eggs filled with gourmet treats, Easter egg-sicles, fresh filled cannolis and assorted Italian cookie platters. Order by March 28. Pickups will be on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like milk chocolate-dipped marshmallow Peeps, milk, dark or white chocolate bunnies, and chocolate Easter baskets filled with a variety of treats.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) will serve an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring items like pancakes, eggs Benedict, croissant French toast, roasted half chicken, sangria ham, deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, coconut cream pie, lemon curd bars and more.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery (135 N. Main St., North Woodstock, 745-3951, woodstockinnbrewery.com) is offering a two-night Easter getaway package, with an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, that will include an omelet bar, a waffle bar, a carving station with ham and prime rib, and other items like eggs Benedict, vegetable lasagna and salmon. Reservations are accepted but not required.

• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Offerings will include a carving station with slow roasted prime rib of beef and apricot-glazed Easter ham, plus assorted warm croissants and pastries, stuffed crepes, pan scrambled eggs, smoked bacon and maple sausage, and a dessert display with assorted seasonal cookies and brownies, miniature carrot cupcakes with coconut frosting, bite-size filled cannolis and house made personal-sized pies and tartlets.

This story was possible with the generous financial support of Hippo readers. Hippo is very grateful to have the support of its readers. If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider a small contribution. Your contributions allow Hippo to write more stories and gets you access to additional stories and columns.

Find your Book Joy

Find your Book Joy

If you’ve lost your love of reading — or never had it in the first place — there are so many reasons why now is the perfect time to pick up a book, whether it’s a paper copy, an ebook or an audiobook. With genres ranging from classics and memoirs to sci-fi and romance, there’s something for everyone.

Also on the cover, enjoy a maple adventure this weekend, p. 20. Try the new Elm House of Pizza in Manchester or Destination India in Derry, p. 24 & 25. And head out for the night for some live music, p. 34.

Leaders bring the weather

In their book Scaling Leadership, Robert Anderson and William Adams note that “Leaders bring the weather.” They further note that ...

News & Notes 21/03/18

Covid-19 updateAs of March 8As of March 15Total cases statewide77,06078,813Total current infections statewide2,0362,064Total deaths statewide1,1841,199New cases1,472 (March 2 to March ...

Back to health

Program provides nursing education, employment Catholic Charities New Hampshire recently announced the launch of Pathways, a career development and advancement ...

Uproar after Cam’s signing

This is going to sound hypocritical, especially coming from me. But everyone is a critic. Even for wildly popular things ...

Quality of Life 21/03/18

More people are making New Hampshire home Based on a 13-percent net gain of new residents, New Hampshire was the ...

Find your Book Love

curly wavy charming cute nice lady impressed after reading, her paper book excited ecstatic smiling toothily isolated over purple pastel color background

How to rediscover classics,find new titles that interest you and have more fun with reading If it’s been years since ...

The Art Roundup 21/03/18

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities “45,000 Quilt Project” exhibit. Courtesy photo. Peter Josephson in NH Theatre ...

Airport art exhibition via iPhone

person in pose standing next to digital art piece inside airport

There’s an augmented reality app for that In the early 1990s, Tom McGurrin crafted a brooch from gold and a ...

Starting from seeds

It’s time to get ready! I love starting seedlings indoors when it’s still cold and raw outside. It makes me ...

Kiddie Pool 21/03/18

Family fun for the weekend Photo courtesy of Charmingfare Farm. Maple madness Celebrate Maple Month in New Hampshire at the ...

Treasure Hunt 21/03/18

Dear Donna,My sister came across these glasses at a flea market. We decided to get your input on them. They ...

The Weekly Dish 21/03/18

News from the local food scene • Greek pastries to go: Join Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, ...

Flavors of India

Destination India opens in Derry Mango Lassi. Photo courtesy of Destination India. A new eatery has brought Indian cuisine to ...

Neighborhood pies

Elm House of Pizza opens in Manchester Back in the 1970s, Elm House of Pizza was a downtown favorite among ...

Jeff LeDuc

Jeff LeDuc of Epping is the owner and founder of the Dawg Shed (find them on Facebook @dawgshed), a food ...

Mister Handsome

I pulled into the parking lot to get my first Covid vaccine. It was a bit science-fictiony/disaster-movie-y. Everything was being ...

Meet Martin Reyes

portrait of a man in a black hat, 3 wine bottles on white background

The winemaker for Peter Paul Wines Meet Martin Reyes, a Master of Wine and the first American of Mexican descent ...

Album Reviews 21/03/18

Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, Prince of Poverty (self-released) Catching up with a couple of local-ish releases, things that ...

No One Is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood

No One Is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood (208 pages, Riverhead) Two-thirds through her first novel, Patricia Lockwood slyly ...

Yes Day (PG) | Cherry (R)

Yes Day (PG) Jennifer Garner stars in Yes Day, a delightful family comedy about wacky hijinks on a day when ...

Have an Oscar movie night

Steven Yeun appears in Minari by Lee Isaac Chung, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Where to see the 2021 nominees We finally have the Oscar nominees for 2020 films. Announced March 15, it’s a ...

The Music Roundup 21/03/18

Local music news & events • Character: Rhode Island based singer-songwriter Tequila Jim has a John Mellencamp vibe going on ...

A new twist

Band playing on dark stage with string instruments with red and blue lights in the background

Take3 on a mission to the mainstream Classical music is rigorous and demanding, its top purveyors virtuosic — but it’s ...

At the Sofaplex 21/03/18

Coming 2 America (R) Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall. Murphy’s 1988 comedy gets a sequel that feels like, essentially, one of ...

Click to read our E-Edition PDF for FREE.
Our advertiser supported e-edition will always be free to view and download.

At the Sofaplex 21/03/18

Coming 2 America (R)

Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall.

Murphy’s 1988 comedy gets a sequel that feels like, essentially, one of those EW movie reunion photo shoots with a few next-generation people sprinkled throughout (Leslie Jones, KiKi Lane, Tracy Morgan). Everybody looks great — I highly recommend checking out the Hollywood Reporter story about the costumes, which were created by Ruth E. Carter, the Oscar-winning designer behind the Black Panther costumes. I maybe recommend it (and a forthcoming Coming 2 America fashion lookbook? Please?) more than the movie, about which I had these thoughts: (1) I honestly don’t know if I ever saw the original all the way through or if it was one of those movies I just sort of absorbed parts of over the years. Or maybe it’s just been that long since 1988. (2) As many have noted, all the actors (including Wesley Snipes, Shari Headley, James Earl Jones, John Amos and random cameos, like Trevor Noah) seem like they’re having a great time. (3) In addition to the Coming 2 America lookbook, I’d like a whole album of new En Vogue/ Salt-N-Pepa collaborations (we get a cute reworking of “Whatta Man” here). (4) With everybody having such a great time while wearing such fun looks, does it really matter if the movie felt kinda “meh” most of the time?

The plot just barely holding everything together is that with the death of King Jaffee (Jones), Prince Akeem (Murphy) needs to return to America to find his long lost son to serve as his heir, as he and his wife, Lisa (Headley), only ever had daughters, who apparently can’t take the throne. This movie features less “2 America” and more of the American, newly-titled Prince Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler) coming to Akeem’s African country of Zamunda. Lavelle learns the ways of his new royal family, Akeem’s wife Lisa deals with her annoyance at having Akeem show up with his new son (and the son’s mom, played by Jones) and Akeem’s oldest daughter Meeka (Lane) chafes at having what she feels is her rightful role as future monarch usurped. The movie throws this all out there but, in keeping things light and jokey, never deals with its story points with much depth, which can make the story feel thin overall.

But, again, with wardrobe items like the red-and-gold wedding dress that appears at the end of the movie (Google it), does it really matter? B- primarily for fashion, En Vogue and Salt-N-Pepa and general nostalgia Available on Amazon Prime.

A new twist

Take3 on a mission to the mainstream

Classical music is rigorous and demanding, its top purveyors virtuosic — but it’s box office anathema. Charity, not ticket sales, provides the majority of revenue for most American orchestras.

Enter Lindsay Deutsch. She launched her group Take3 to change the genre’s perception. The violin, piano and cello trio performs modern songs like “Despacito” and “Yellow” with the same musical discipline Deutsch learned when she was classically trained at The Colburn School in Los Angeles.

It’s an approach familiar to fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, which offered string quartet renditions of Ariana Grande and Maroon 5 hits, among others, but Deutsch arguably got there first. Beyond that, her kinetic stage presence is singularly unique. She’s to the violin what Ian Anderson is on the flute with Jethro Tull, stalking the boards like a dervish.

The idea for reimagining pop songs as classical pieces came from frustration with the medium’s strict rules.

“The thing about Bach, Brahms and Beethoven is you have to play in a box, so to speak,” Deutsch said in a recent phone interview. “As an artist, I felt like … I have this huge voice, and people keep asking me not to use my voice, but to try and figure out what this dead, old white guy wants.”

Deutsch’s light bulb moment came when she traveled to Saudi Arabia for a last-minute spot playing with Yanni. The New Age superstar had found her on YouTube; she’d never heard of him until he called to say his regular violinist was leaving to have a baby. She had three weeks to learn the material; it would be her first time performing with amplification and in-ear monitors.

During her initial solo, Deutsch couldn’t hear anything and feared the worst was happening.

“I’m just fingering the violin, I can’t hear one note, I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “My thought is, OK, this is my first and last performance with Yanni, because I’m gonna for sure be fired.”

When she glanced at the bandleader, however, he was smiling broadly at her.

“I look up further and see a sea of people on their feet, cheering. That’s when I realized my in-ear monitors are fine; it’s the sound of the crowd that is so loud.”

For Deutsch, it was a revelation.

“In classical music, we don’t have audiences that make that kind of noise,” she said. “It was something that I realized I was really missing. … I became kind of addicted to that passion and to that fire the audience was giving me in response to this crossover style. After that moment, I just never looked back.”

Though the group’s material is accessible, it remains musically challenging.

“Take3 never felt that just playing the tune was good enough, because we had the chops to play big concerti with an orchestra,” Deutsch said. “We were not going to be happy with just playing single notes and easy renditions. So we made this stuff super hard, and we added double stops all over the place and cool techniques. … We wanted to really show off what we learned.”

After a few lineup changes, Take3 is currently Deutsch, Juilliard-trained pianist Jason Stoll and fellow L.A.-based cellist Mikala Schmitz, who studied at Cleveland Institute of Music.

“It’s very rare to find serious classical musicians that have the chops needed who can also let their hair down and have fun. … It’s been beaten into us since we were 5 years old to read the music, play exactly you see,” Deutsch said. “I’m saying the music is a guide, and if you want to diverge from that, have a little fun and do something different, by all means go for it. We’re on stage to have a good time.”

Though she’s playing a violin that’s over two centuries old, Deutsch knows she’s competing with 21^st-century distractions like movies and video games.

“These amazing things that people are used to seeing … if I just walk out on stage and plop myself down in a chair, it doesn’t matter how good it sounds, I’m never going to compete with modern-day entertainment.”

A livestreamed show sponsored by the Palace Theatre in Manchester on March 26 will feature Take3 performing a wide selection of material.

“It’s just all our favorite tunes that we’ve been playing over the last three years,” Deutsch said. “Anything from Justin Bieber to The Beatles to Coldplay, Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones. All good stuff.”

Take3 Virtual Stream
When: Friday, March 26, 8 p.m.
Where: Hosted by The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $15 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Take3. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 21/03/18

Local music news & events

• Character: Rhode Island based singer-songwriter Tequila Jim has a John Mellencamp vibe going on his latest original song, “And I Still Love You,” along with a long catalog of originals amassed over decades of performing. He counts influences across a diverse spectrum of music, from Herman’s Hermits to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Thursday, March. 18, 5 p.m., To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St., Manchester, facebook.com/ToShareBrewing.

• Coolness: Soulful, insightful singer and keyboard player Yamica Peterson is joined by scene veteran Nate Comp on guitar and backing vocals for a post-dinner show in downtown Manchester. The NEMA-nominated performer headlined the final pre-winter intermission show with a live audience at Concord’s Bank of NH Stage a few months back, an inspirational evening that will hopefully be repeated soon, as the sun comes out and herd immunity takes hold. Friday, March 19, 7:30 p.m., XO on Elm, 827 Elm St., Manchester, facebook.com/XOonElm.

• Tuneful: Enjoy an eclectic selection of cover songs and quality food as Bob Pratte performs solo. A look at the singer and guitarist’s schedule for this year gives one encouragement that things will get better, as it grows longer with each passing month. Pratte plays a lot of classic rock and country songs, everything from Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” to “X’s & O’s” from Elle King. Saturday, March 20, 8 p.m., The Pasta Loft, 241 Union Square, Milford, bobpratteband.com.

• Vocalize: Lateafternoon music from Bobby Lane is on the menu at a pizza place doing a lot to support local music. With a set list that includes ’90s rockers like Matchbox 20, folk music, modern and classic country, Lane is a natural performer who recently marked two years of playing out. He’s the restaurant’s regular Wednesday night entertainer — this is a special event. Sunday, March 21, 5 p.m., Lynn’s 102 Tavern, 76 Derry Road, Hudson, facebook.com/lynns102tavern.

Month: March 2021

Coach B goes nuts

Close to home

News & Notes 21/03/25

Frayed social circles

Tasting Tour 03/25/2021

Eats for Easter

Find your Book Joy

At the Sofaplex 21/03/18

A new twist

The Music Roundup 21/03/18

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!