Year: 2024

On The Job – Cathy Hilscher

Owner of Cats Kingdom

Cathy Hilscher is the owner of Cats Kingdom (679 Mast Road in Manchester, catskingdomonline.com).

Explain your job and what it entails.

I am the owner of Cat’s Kingdom. I am all about the food and holistic care. I am passionate about what I bring into the store and what I sell to people. I help people on an individual basis when they have problems with their cats because a big portion of it has to do with the foods that they eat.

How long have you had this job?

Nine years.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

Pierre, one of my cats, got sick from kidney disease and I realized there wasn’t a lot of education out there for cats and supportive food measures, and here I am nine years later.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I come from a background of retail. I’ve owned a few small businesses and I kind of put them together and collectively came up with this.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

You’re looking at it. Tie-dyed, sweatshirt, casual.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Money coming in and money coming out and keeping things going is challenging. That’s the biggest thing. And getting noticed. Whatever you say out there, get me out there. Getting noticed and getting recognized online.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

How much goes into keeping a store in a state in a small environment with everything that is going on in the world. Keeping it afloat and getting the support locally to keep things afloat.

What was your first job?

A diet aide at a nursing home in New York, which is where I come from.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t take things so personally.

—Zachary Lewis

Five favorites
Favorite book: I don’t do a whole lot of reading. I don’t really have one.
Favorite movie: I am a sappy person, so anything Lifetime.
Favorite music: ’70’s genre all the way.
Favorite food: Probably Italian
Favorite thing about NH: It is very similar where I come from, a small town in central New York, outside of Albany. Small, quaint – I am not a big-bustling-type person, so it’s perfect. Love the seasons. Everything.

Featured photo: Cathy Hilscher. Courtesy Photo.

Treasure Hunt 24/03/21

Dear Donna,

OK, can you help me figure this out? It says Ralston on it. It’s also marked “Eat Ralston Daily.”

Can you help?

Jake

Dear Jake,

I’m not quite sure how it works but it somehow tells time. When you hold it up to the sun it can turn and give you time.

It’s a Ralston cereal toy (premium). The company produced cereal from the late 1800s to the 1990s. The name probably seems more familiar as Ralston Purina.

I can remember when I was younger begging my mom to buy any cereal with a good toy in it. Premiums are collectible and range from a dollar to very high values, depending on what it is, from what cereal, how many were produced and condition.

The value of yours, Jake, is in the $40 range to a collector. So a nice little premium find.

Hope this was helpful, Jake.

Feature Photo: Vintage Cereal Toy. Courtesy Photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/03/21

Family fun for whenever

Playing inside

• The Addams Family is presented by Pinkerton Players at Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com) on Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15. This School Edition version of The Addams Family offers a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family and features an original story where Wednesday Addams, a princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family, according to their website. Now, the whole family must host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Oh, the horror!

• The Rainbow Fish is presented by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia at Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com) on Tuesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. The play introduces the most beautiful fish in the sea, whose scales shimmer in all the colors of the rainbow, according to their website, and finds the courage to explore the deep unknown sea full of wonderful sights and friendly creatures, in a visually striking production that makes the pages of the storybooks come to life. Tickets cost $12.

Playing outside

• Granite State Kids Community Tennis Association is starting its 24th season of tennis at the Legacy Park Tennis Courts (230 New Boston Road in Bedford). The GSK is part of the United States Tennis Association and has provided junior tennis instruction and competitive junior team tennis for 23 years, according to their website. All levels of ability can participate, and they use modified equipment for beginner and younger players to allow kids to play quickly. Their Spring 2024 Tennis Programs has slots for children age 10 and younger and for kids age 11 and older on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Monday cohort runs from Monday, May 13, to Monday, June 17, and that includes Memorial Day. The Wednesday cohort runs from Wednesday, May 15, to Wednesday, June 17. Register soon if you are interested; the Monday section for children age 10 and under is already full. Cost is $125 per child. Visit granitestatekids.com.

Playing in outer space

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 institute Drive in Concord), open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., has a planetarium show that is perfect for astronauts in training. 3-2-1 Liftoff! is an animated film about a gifted hamster scientist named Elon, who after finding a robot that’s crash-landed in his dump yard garden must use his courage and wits to get the robot back to a rocket leaving for Mars in three days, according to their website. Will he succeed? Head to the Discovery Center to find out. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of this or any planetarium show. Seating occurs 10 minutes before each show, at which time tickets will no longer be available. 3-2-1 Liftoff! is recommended for ages 4 and older. Tickets are $7 in addition to admission but free for members and children under 2. Visit starhop.com or call 271-7827.

Egg-citing

Where to find egg hunts and Easter Bunny visits

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

If Santa spans the globe by reindeer-powered sleigh, and the Tooth Fairy has her wings, then how exactly does the Easter Bunny travel? By airplane, of course. On Saturday, March 23, at 9 a.m., the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry (27 Navigator Road) welcomes the Easter Bunny into the Granite State as he lands a two-seat light sport aircraft, an RV-12iS, constructed by students from the Manchester School of Technology.

“We’re thrilled the Easter Bunny has chosen to arrive in an airplane built by students right here in New Hampshire,” said Jeff Rapsis, the museum’s executive director. “It’s a great honor to have such an important celebrity make use of this aircraft [and] not just have him hop around but arrive in spectacular fashion.”

The Manchester Airport Fire Department will create a grand water arch to greet the plane. In the event of inclement weather, the Easter Bunny will meet families and friends inside the museum’s workshop.

During the visit, the Easter Bunny will take photos with visitors and hand out candy. The Granite State Candy Shoppe has “donated lots of chocolate,” Rapsis said. The Common Man Roadside will provide free apple cider, coffee and other treats.

From 9 to 11 a.m., museum entry will be free with activities where kids can design hot air balloons and create pilot licenses, and there will be areas for coloring and Legos. The museum ask thats families arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. to be able to park and safely make it to the landing on time.

Around 11 a.m. the Easter Bunny will ride off in a Manchester Airport Fire Department fire truck.

After 11 a.m., regular admission applies to the Aviation Museum: $10 for ages 13 and up; $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65 and up, and veterans/active military; kids 5 and under are free. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org

Here are some more Easter-related area events:

• An Egg-Citing Egg Hunt will be hosted at Charmingfare Farm in Candia (774 High St.) on Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, as well as Saturday, March 30, and Easter Sunday, March 31, with various times between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Children age 2 to 12 will have the chance to hunt for a dozen eggs, each filled with fun surprises and perfect for taking home after a day of fun. See visitthefarm.com.

• Another Egg-citing Egg Hunt will be hosted at Joppa Hill Farm in Bedford (174 Joppa Hill Road) on Saturday, March 23, at two ticketed time slots, 10 a.m. and noon. Visitors may gather 15 eggs containing nut-free candy and toys. According to the website, participants have a chance to find a golden egg that grants a special prize as well as getting to meet and take a picture with the Easter Bunny. Tickets are $20 for ages 1 through 12. There is no fee for adults. See theeducationalfarm.org.

• The Governor’s Easter Egg Hunt will take place on the Statehouse Lawn in Concord on Saturday, March 23. Mr. Aaron performs live from 10 to 11 a.m. There will also be face painting, balloons, prizes, refreshments, the Easter Bunny and his friends, and lots of fun, according to a press release. The Egg hunt begins exactly at 10 a.m. The governor asks that you please bring your own basket.

• The Well Church’s annual free Easter egg hunt will be held at Greeley Park in Nashua (near the bandstand, 100 Concord St.) on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to noon. Their website welcomes participants to see the Easter Bunny, hunt some eggs, and enjoy face painting, among other festivities. The Well Church asks that participants bring their own baskets, only reserve tickets for children, and notes that certain times are only for younger kids only. Visit thewellnh.org/egghunt.

• The 32nd annual Easter egg hunt for Merrimack residents at Wasserman Park in Merrimack (116 Naticook Road) is happening on Saturday, March 23. Their events page mentioned a total of 6,500 Easter eggs ready to hand out between five different egg hunt groups. Times are: special needs at 10:10 a.m.; ages 1 to 3 at 10:30 a.m., ages 4 and 5 at 10:50 a.m. ages 6 and 7 at 11:10 a.m., and ages 8 to 10 at 11:30 a.m. They ask that children bring their own baskets. The Easter Bunny will be available for photos at the basketball court from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This free event is open to Merrimack residents only. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org/easter-egg-hunt.

• The Salem Community Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Rockingham Christian Church will take place at Hedgehog Pond in Salem on Saturday, March 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bags will be provided for the two egg hunts. The first is at noon for kids 5 and under and the second at 12:30 p.m. for kids 6 to 11. The Rockingham Christian Church mentioned on their event page that the event will be a day of egg hunting and activities for the family like face painting, crafts, raffles, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and a visit from the Salem Fire Department. They ask participants to register for the event to give them a head count. Parking is located next door at the Bus Company or across the street at the Ice Center. Visit rccsalem.com/events or email [email protected].

• The Saint Anselm College Alumni Association invites Granite Staters to its 28th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester) on Palm Sunday, March 24, at 12:30 p.m. Registration opens at 11 a.m. and the Easter egg hunt commences exactly at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $25 per family, which includes a $5 donation to the Saint Anselm Fund. The website mentions that there will be snacks, coffee, a petting zoo, crafts for kids, and pictures with the Easter Bunny. Visit alumni.anselm.edu/annual-easter-egg-hunt.

• The Easter Bunny Party is back at Carriage Shack Farm in Londonderry (5 Dan Hill Road) on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can spend time with the Easter Bunny and friendly farm animals. There is an Easter Bunny trail where kids can collect Easter egg treasures. There will be opportunities for Easter egg decorating, dancing and bubbles, and the Olde Schacht’s Mining area will be open for additional fun, according to the website. The animals at Carriage Shack Farm include a Tibetan yak, bearded dragons, baby doll sheep and a 100-pound Sulcata Tortoise named Homer. Tickets are $12.95 for ages 16 and over, $11.95 for seniors and military, $10.95 for ages 15 and under. Children 1 and under are free. Adults must be accompanied by another adult or child. No pets of any kind are allowed, for the safety of the farm’s animals. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. Visit carriageshackfarmllc.org.

• Hudson’s Best Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, March 30, at Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road in Hudson) with times at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon featuring more than 5,000 eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and more. Reserve a spot at funnels.hudsonmartialart.com/egghunt-2024.

Featured Photo: The Easter Bunny NH Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. Courtesy photo.

Buy stuff, make stuff

Classes on offer at the Manchester Craft Market

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

Jessica Moores has created a bazaar of locally sourced and handcrafted goodies at the Mall of New Hampshire.

“This is our eighth year,” Moores said. “We started just as a craft fair with different tables all throughout the mall or we had an empty store for about nine weeks where 20 people sat at their tables to sell what they’d made.”

It was a good start, but Moores was encouraged to grow.

“Someone said to me, ‘This is great, but I don’t want to sit here all day. I want to put my stuff on a shelf, and you sell it for me.’ So I came back a few months later and I told the mall I want to give people a spot to sell their stuff on a shelf and see how that goes.”

After she spruced up an old pet store she had been allocated by the mall, business continued to grow.

“We decided we needed a bigger store,” Moores said. Manchester Craft Market then moved to the space next door. This was the location where Moores started curbside pickup during the Covid years, which allowed her business to thrive, although it was an austere road at first.

“I did it all without any loans or credit cards in the beginning. I didn’t pay myself for a couple years and kept putting my money into the business, like free displays. This one here I got like seven years ago for free,” Moores said as she pointed to a glass display cabinet right next to the cash register. “I still use it. It makes me a ton of money.”

Manchester Craft Market had its first million-dollar year just a couple of years ago.

“A million dollars of New England-made products only. That was 2021,” she said.

“In 2023, in September, we moved into this space…. We grew from about 170 makers to 250. We also have a classroom space for workshops and classes,” Moores said.

The classes are a big draw for crafters and patrons alike.

“We’ve done a couple ceramic classes with fairy houses or polymer clay. People are hand-building their own mugs. Cookie decorating classes. It’s kind of its own separate little thing back there,” Moores said.

A calendar of classes and workshops can be found on their website but one does not need to be a seller here to be allowed to teach.

Another fun edition is the window display.

“I work really hard on my window display, which seems to really attract people. With our winter display people would stand out there and take pictures like it was Macy’s in New York, so that was really fun.” Moores said

How did Moores get started with this whole enterprise?

“I was a stay-at-home mom trying to pay off some student loans and I started making my own stuff,” Moores said. “I said, ‘I really need a place to sell this. Where do I sell it?’ I was walking through the mall one day and there were a bunch of empty stores at that point. I said, ‘I should do a craft fair in the mall.’ So I went to a local, like, Facebook moms group and said, ‘What do you guys think about this? Would you go?’ and they were all like, ‘Yeah, we would totally go.’ And now some of them are our regular customers….”

The support from the community allows Moores to celebrate the handmade wares of local makers, which she describes as “anything altered, designed, or with additional components. Generally, that gives our makers leeway to design an image and have it printed elsewhere to be a sticker or print. It allows them to buy different jewelry findings and assemble them to make something different. I am not asking them to silversmith, although some do.”

Moores reiterated that without the enthusiasm of these craft makers her business would not be possible.

“Every little spot in every corner in here is a different maker. It is 250 individual businesses that we are supporting. Some of them pay for their chemo meds with it, some of them pay their mortgage with it, some of them just make it for fun and make a couple bucks off of it. It is all local New England. We just have fun with it.”

Manchester Craft Market
1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester (inside the Mall of New Hampshire).
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm, Sundays from 11am to 6pm.
Contact: 606-1351, manchestercraftmarket.com

Featured photo: Workshop space at Manchester Craft Market. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 24/03/21

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

• Artist receptions: The Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester) opened its spring season with “The Intimacy of Seeing, Elsa Voelcker – A Retrospective.” On Friday, March 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. the Chapel Art Center will host an opening reception, with the artist in attendance. Voelcker is a veteran member of the college’s Fine Arts faculty, whose teaching and mentoring in the realm of film and digital photography has benefitted generations of students at Saint Anselm College, according to a press release. The exhibition includes more than 60 works and spans her entire career; it includes a selection of black & white and color prints, as well as some of her handmade photography books. The gallery is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m.

An artist’s reception will be held on Saturday, March 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the New Hampshire Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord) for Jackie Hanson’s show titled “Human/ Nature,” which runs until Friday, May 17. The show features a unique view of landscapes through pastels by Hanson, who is a recent graduate of New England College and a New Hampshire artist. See nhaudubon.org.

• Printmaking workshop: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester) is hosting a one-day workshop titled “Creative Exploration: Printmaking & Collage Inspired by Raphaël Barontini with Rachael and John O’Shaughnessy” on Saturday, March 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Currier website describes this workshop as a unique opportunity for adults to learn more about the artist and his ideas while they work with dyed papers, collage and intaglio printmaking techniques to create their own works of art; prior classes and experience are not required, and materials will be provided. Registration is $175 for non-members and $157.50 for members. Visit currier.org or call 518-4922.

• Online art chat: You can virtually meet with the Currier Museum’s education team for “Art Conversations from Home.” These are informal facilitated conversations over Zoom about the Currier’s collection and exhibitions, with a different focus each week, according to their website. Each session is free and lasts 30 minutes. They take place every Wednesday at 1 p.m. until April 24. The conversation on Wednesday, March 20, will be on Andrew Wyeth’s “Day Dream,” 1980, which is from a private collection. Attendance is limited and registration is required, accepted through noon on the day of the event. Visit currier.org.

• Pottery sale: Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester) is holding a Spring Cleaning Pottery Sale from Monday, March 25, to Saturday, March 30, noon to 8 p.m. each day, selling pottery, glass and other handmade goods to benefit the International Institute of New England, the Clay for Kids Fund and local artisans, according to a press release. Visit 550arts.com.

• Kids perform Elvis: The Bedford Youth Performing Company (BYPC) will be performing All Shook Up! an homage to Elvis Presley, at the Derryfield School Theater (2108 River Road in Manchester) on Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 23, at 1 and 7 p.m. According to a press release, the performers will take you on a ride into a world of rock ’n’ roll and hijinks in this action-packed musical. Tickets are $17.50 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. Visit bypc.org or call 472-3894.

• The Phil performs Bolero, Hagen performs Double Bass: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Dr. in Salem) will be performing Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” and more on Saturday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m. Renowned double bass soloist Susan Hagen, who has been an extra player for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 18 seasons and who became the first female principle double bassist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, will be performing Simón García’s Double Bass Concerto, according to a press release. Mark Latham, Music Director of the NH Philharmonic Orchestra, said in a statement that “her talent and passion for the double bass are truly exceptional, and we are honored to have her join us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of music.” The concert will feature Rimsky-Korsakov’s virtuosic Capriccio Espagnol and music of de Falla and Mozart will be performed as well, according to the same release. Livestreaming will be available for the Sunday performance. Tickets range from $5 to $35. Visit nhphil.org.

• Celtic Woman in Concord: The Capitol Center of the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St in Concord) will host the 20th anniversary tour of Celtic Woman on Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. Celtic Woman brings a blend of traditional and contemporary Irish music with dancers, bagpipers and traditional Irish instruments like the bodhrán, tin whistle and uilleann pipes, according to a press release. Tickets range from $54.25 to $86.25. Visit ccanh.org

Anastasia
The Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) will be hosting The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts as they present Anastasia The Musical: Youth Edition Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24. Majestic’s production will star the children and teens of The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts under the direction of Collette Foley with musical assistance by A. Robert Dionne, according to a press release. The show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past, the release said. Show times are Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 23, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors 65 and above, and $12 for youth 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased by visiting or calling the box office at 669-7469, online at www.majestictheatre.net or at the door prior to the performance.

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