Year: 2024

Berry Delicious

Berries!

Almost time for strawberry and blueberry seasons

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

‘Tis the season where farms invite ordinary people to come onto their land to take part in the berry harvests.

Although last summer may have been a slight disappointment for berry aficionados, this year’s harvest is appearing to be much better.

Samantha Fay, Farm Stand Manager at Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com),is positive about this year’s crop of berries.

“Everything seems to be going really well this year. Last year was pretty devastating due to the late frost that we had … strawberries last year with the rain was really bad,” Fay said.

It was the worst of yields but now it’s the best of yields in this tale of two berry seasons.

“This year, everything looks good. We haven’t had a frost and we haven’t had the really really cold temperatures, so all the crops thus far look really good,” Fay said.

Future pickers should keep an eye on the weather.

“As long as we don’t get too much rain, the strawberries should look great,” Fay said. “Right now, fingers crossed, everything looks great.”

Not all berries grow the same way, though, and depending on foraging style, certain berries may be more fun to pick than others.

“Your strawberries are really low to the ground, so you’re more down on your knees harvesting them, where[as] raspberries, they’re a higher bush, so people can walk through those and pick at their height, which is nice,” Fay said. Since Sunnycrest only has a few rows of blackberries, visitors will only be able to pick these up at the farmstand when they do ripen.

The schedule typically flows from strawberries to blueberries and cherries to raspberries, then peaches and finally apples. A family could pick berries all summer long at the many farms and farm stands in the state.

“I think that it’s a really nice family activity for people to do and it’s really important for people to be able to have access to fresh fruit,” Fay said. “It’s nice to be able to harvest your own fruit and bring that home, because you have the satisfaction of seeing where it grows and being able to take it home and have it yourself.” But how much of the tasty reward can one bring home? A few ounces? A couple pounds?

“Maybe like 80 pounds at once just for a regular customer that comes in because we have some people come in that like to jam, so they’ll buy a good amount for jamming,” Fay said. “I’d say like 80 to 100 pounds for some people. But it’s not like an everyday thing…. That’s their one pick for the season when they make their batch of jam.” Ten to 20 pounds is a more typical amount for people to acquire in a single visit.

The delicate dance of berry harvesting is not for the faint of heart, but it is worth the effort. “They’re definitely a difficult crop to grow. They take a lot of care and the weather definitely plays a huge factor because they don’t like too much rain. It’s very rewarding when you get a great crop but it does take a lot to grow them. And we enjoy it,” Fay said.

Where to pick your own berries

Here’s a list of local farms that plan to offer fresh berries for pick-your-own throughout this upcoming season — we’ve included those that will have everything from strawberries and blueberries available for picking to raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and even peaches at some locations. Do you know of any in our area that we may have missed? Tell us about it at [email protected].

Apple Hill Farm

580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com

What: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black currants, apples

When: Projected opening date is around mid to late June, starting with pick-your-own strawberries, then blueberries from early July to early September, raspberries from mid-July to early August, black currants from late July to early August, and apples from late August to mid October, according to their website.

Applecrest Farm Orchards

133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com

What: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, pears

When: The farm stand is open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; projected opening date TBA for pick-your-own strawberries will be around mid-June; followed by blueberries in early July and raspberries in mid-August; peaches, nectarines and pears early August through mid September, according to their website.

Bartlett’s Blueberry Farm

648 Bradford Road, Newport, 208-270-0466, bartlettsblueberryfarm.com

What: blueberries

When: Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the picking season is from mid-July to August; the self-service farm stand is open now from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. daily, or by appointment, offering items like blueberry jam, local maple syrup and honey, according to their website.

Bascom Road Blueberry Farm

371 Bascom Road, Newport, 359-7703, bascomroadblueberryfarm.com

What: strawberries and blueberries

Expected hours: The farm store is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm is offering pick-your-own strawberries for limited days in June to early July. Pick-your-own blueberries are expected to happen from July through September, according to their website. 2023 pricing, according to their website, was $12 for a small bucket, around 3 pounds, or $22 for a large bucket, which was around 6 pounds.

Beaver Pond Farm

1047 John Stark Hwy., Newport, 543-1107, beaverpondfarm.com

What: blueberries and raspberries

When: Daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting, call on the day for conditions. Their season usually begins between July 1 and July 10 and typically runs through July and into early August, according to their website. They charge by the pint, not the pound, and offer free containers as well as water to pickers, according to the website.

Berry Good Farm

234 Parker Road, Goffstown, berrygoodfarmnh.com

What: blueberries

When: Anticipated to be open Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well as Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Their pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around mid-July, according to their website.

Berrybogg Farm

650 Province Road, Strafford, 664-2100, berryboggfarm.com

What: Blueberries

When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime shortly after the Fourth of July, according to last year’s dates. Last year’s prices were $3.50 per pound (seniors 65 and older and military $3.40 per pound), and if participants pick 10 or more pounds the price will be $3.25 per pound, according to their website.

Brookdale Fruit Farm

41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com

What: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries

When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected to be available around mid to late June, followed by blueberries and raspberries by early July and blackberries and black raspberries into August, according to their website.

Carter Hill Orchard

73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com

What: blueberries

When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime in July, according to their website.

Devriendt Farm Products

178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com

What: strawberries

When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected around the second or third week of June and they will have Pick Your Own boxes at a cost of $1 for you to pick into if you do not bring your own container, according to their website.

Elwood Orchards

54 Elwood Road, Londonderry, 434-6017, elwoodorchards.com

What: cherries

When: TBA; pick-your-own cherries are expected to be available around early July.

Gould Hill Farm

656 Gould Hill Farm, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com

What: Blueberries, peaches

When: Farm stand is closed until mid-July. Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around mid-July and will run into early August; peaches typically start in early August and run to early September, with peaches available in the store from late July to early September, according to their website.

Grandpa’s Farm

143 Clough Hill Road, Loudon, 783-5690, grandpasfarmnh.com

What: blueberries

When: Daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They offer blueberries from the middle of July to the middle of August and their new Lower Field has three varieties, Duke, Spartan and Bluecrop, which will ripen in that order, according to their website.

Grounding Stone Farm

289 Maple St., Contoocook, 746-1064, groundingstonefarm.com

What: blueberries, Certified Organic by the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food, according to their website

When: Open July 6 through the third week of August.

Hackleboro Orchards

61 Orchard Road, Canterbury, 783-4248, hackleboroorchard.com

What: blueberries

When: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; pick-your-own blueberries are expected between mid-June and late August, and will be $3.29 per pound, according to their website.

Kimball Fruit Farm

Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., border, 978-433-9751, kimball.farm

What: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

When: Pick-your-own strawberries are projected for the middle of June, blueberries from July to early August (best picking usually mid-July), raspberries from July to early October, and blackberries from August to early October. The farm stand is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to their website.

Lavoie’s Farm

172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.wordpress.com

What: strawberries and blueberries

When: Their hours vary by season but they are normally open June 1 until Oct. 31, according to their website.

McKenzie’s Farm

71 Northeast Pond Road, Milton, 652-9400, mckenziesfarm.com

What: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and peaches

When: Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; strawberries are expected to be ready by the middle of June, followed by raspberries around July 4 and blueberries also in early July, with peaches available in August, according to their website.

Norland Berries

164 N. Barnstead Road, Center Barnstead, 776-2021, norlandberries.com

What: blueberries

When: Berries will likely be available by early to mid-July, according to last year’s dates.

Saltbox Farm

321 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 436-7978, saltboxfarmnh.com

What: blueberries

When: The farm stand is open only during seasonal hours during their berry picking season and typically runs from early July to early September, according to their Facebook page.

Smith Farm Stand

15 Smith Farm Road, Gilford, 524-7673, smithfarmstand.com

What: raspberries and blueberries

When: The farm features three raspberry beds and one blueberry field, according to their website. Raspberries are expected to be ready for picking around the second week of July, followed by blueberries in mid-July. If their supply allows, one night each year they stay open late for twilight picking with special discounts, according to the same website.

Spring Ledge Farm

37 Main St., New London, 526-6253, springledgefarm.com

What: strawberries

When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected in June, and their picking field address is 985 Pleasant St. in New London, according to their website.

Sunnycrest Farm

59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com

What: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries and peaches

When: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily for pick-your-own strawberries beginning in June, with cherries starting around June 15, followed by blueberries and raspberries around the start of July and peaches in August if supplies allow, according to their website.

Trombly Gardens

150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net

What: strawberries and blueberries

When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected later in June, followed by blueberries in early July.

When are they ready?
Sources: agriculture.nh.gov and extension.unh.edu
• Strawberries: early to mid-June
• Blueberries: early to mid-July
• Raspberries: early to mid-July
• Cherries: early to mid-July
• Blackberries: mid to late July or early August

Lavender fields forever

2024’s hot flavor gets its own harvest season

By John Fladd
[email protected]

Get acquainted with lavender by starting at the source — a field where it’s grown.

“We have generations that come here together, and it’s really a lovely sight,” said Missy Biagiottie, owner of Lavender Fields (393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner, 456-2443, pumpkinblossomfarm.com), a farm where families can pick their own lavender. “You see mothers, grandmothers and granddaughters all picking together. It’s a really nice experience.”

If you’re imagining groups of women in sundresses and straw hats, Biagiottie said, that’s pretty much what she sees. “Our target market is women. I’d say 95 percent of the people who visit us are women. It’s a nice, family, low-key event. It’s meant to be serene.”

Lavender is a perennial plant — meaning that it continues to grow, season after season — but requires year-round maintenance to be at its peak for a two- to three-week harvesting season in mid-July. This year, Biagiotti estimated her farms will be open for “U-Pick” customers between July 5 and July 21. When the farm’s staff harvests lavender, they use old-fashioned sickles, bundle the stalks, and hang them to dry in the farm’s barn to dry until it is needed.

“Of course, we give our U-Pickers nice little garden snips,” she said, “and give them instruction on how to cut the lavender so it might generate another bloom later in the season.”

She said most customers are not looking to take a lot of lavender home with them.

“They’re usually looking for a perfect stem,” Biagiotti said. They take it home and make lavender lemonade or lavender cookies. They might use it decoratively or for craft purposes. Most people will take it home for a memory and hang it up to dry like another herb. The scent lasts for a very long time, she said.

Biagiotti and her team harvest the rest of the lavender to distill into lavender hydrosol — a lavender-infused water — and lavender oil, both of which they use as a base for lavender products that they sell at the farm and online. They sell bath and body products but also lavender food products and cooking ingredients, such as lavender simple syrup, lavender honey, lavender-infused vinegar and oil, white hot chocolate with lavender, a blueberry lavender drink mixer and culinary lavender buds.

Inspired to cook with your lavender? According to pastry chef Emilee Viaud, owner of Sweet Treats by Emilee and pastry chef for Greenleaf Restaurant in Milford, lavender is not an ingredient you can throw into a recipe on a whim; it needs a bit of planning.

“With lavender, it’s not really enjoyable to eat in itself,” she said. “In pastry, infusing it into pastry cream is what I like to do, because the floral soapiness complements the creaminess of the pastry cream really well. They kind of balance each other out.”

Viaud said lavender often works best as a supporting flavor.

“Lemon and lavender work well together. The spices I like to add to that is cardamom or fennel. With fennel seed, you can grind it up and infuse it into the pastry cream, and when you strain it, you’ll remove all those extra components you don’t really want to eat,” Viaud said.

“My husband [chef Chris Viaud] uses it in one of his cocktails,” she said. “He infuses it into a simple syrup and uses it that way.”

He is not the only one to do that. For the past several years, as bartenders have experimented with more and more nontraditional flavors for cocktails, lavender has become a go-to flavor to play off more orthodox ingredients.

“We do a couple of lavender drinks,” said Niko Kfoury, bartender at Firefly Restaurant in Manchester. “Under the Favorites section of our cocktail menu, we’ve got a lavender-blueberry lemonade. We’ve got a lavender gin gimlet as well. The Favorites never change; those are always on the menu. I think it [lavender] has a floral quality. It’s just a really calming, soothing flavor that’s really complementary with a lot of different ingredients. It adds a calmness to a flavor profile.”

Lavender!

Lavender to pick

Lavender Fields at Pumpkin Blossom Farm
393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner
456-2443, pumpkinblossomfarm.com

Tentative dates for picking lavender are Friday, July 5, through Sunday, July 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Lavender to taste

Sweet Treats by Emilee
facebook.com/EmileesSweetTreats

Greenleaf
54 Nashua St., Milford
213-5447, greenleafmilford.com
Open Tuesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.

Firefly Bistro and Bar
22 Concord St., Manchester
935-9740, fireflynh.com
Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m; Saturday and Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday dinner 4 to 9 p.m.; Sunday dinner 4 to 8 p.m.

Market season

Farmers markets build customer loyalty

By John Fladd
[email protected]

Selling at a farmers market, meeting your customers one-on-one, letting them try your product and answering their questions is a way for farmers, craftspeople and other makers to build customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing.

Becca and Mindy Dean, for instance, have a passion for goat milk, and their farm, Galomime Farm Too in Mont Vernon, sells its goat products at the Bedford Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons.

Co-owner Becca Dean said that working at a farmers market gives them the opportunity to introduce goat milk products to customers who wouldn’t normally look for them.

“We have a unique product and it may not be for everyone, but everyone who has tried our product seems to love it!” Dean said. She has noticed that the sorts of customers who shop at farmers markets seem to be open to new experiences.

“One [customer] stated that he and his family plan dinners for the week based on what they get at the market,” she said

Although some New Hampshire farmers markets open in May, most wait to open until June, when the weather is more reliable and some fresh produce is ready to pick and sell. John Blake of DJ Honey, who also sells at the Bedford market, said business will pick up significantly with the end of the school year.

“The beginning of the season seems to be normal,” he said. “We did start a few weeks earlier than usual [this year]. When school gets out the market will be in full swing. I see the rest of the season being a good one.”

If you shop at a farmers market, you will notice that many vendors there sell a variety of goods other than fruits and vegetables.

Donna Silva of Lone Willow Farms in Mont Vernon sells her farm’s products in Milford and Bedford but limits her food sales to Milford.

“This is my first year at the Bedford Farmers Market,” she said. “I don’t sell food products there because they have enough farm-to-table vendors. … This will be my fourth year at the Milford Farmers Market, where I do sell my awesome veggies, produce, herbs and edible flowers. At both markets I sell flowers and gifts [or] art I make from my flowers.”

According to Joshua Marshall, the Director of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture’s Division of Agricultural Development, numbers and statistics for New Hampshire’s farmers markets can be elusive.

“New Hampshire has a pretty vibrant farmers market industry and the interesting thing is we don’t have any sort of centralized registration that they [farmers markets] are required to do, so it’s hard to get a big picture of how many are out there,” he said. The Agriculture Department keeps a voluntary publication on its website where farmers markets can publish their events, but submitting information to it isn’t mandatory.

“Between the summer and winter markets, we have just over 40,” Marshall said. “That is a little bit down over previous years, which has been closer to 50, but I know that there are a lot more out there.”

Marketeers

Galomime Farm Too
60 Old Amherst Road, Mont Vernon
facebook.com/GalomimeFarmToo
Sells at Bedford Farmers Market

DJ’s Pure Honey
facebook.com/djspurehoney
Sells at Bedford Farmers Market and Nashua Farmers Market

Lone Willow Farms
70 Tater St., Mont Vernon
731-0611, lonewillowfarms.com
Sells at Bedford Farmers Market and Milford Farmers Outdoor Market

This Week 24/06/06

Friday, June 7

Classic ’80s hair band Stryper will perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com) as part of their To Hell With the Amps unplugged tour. They will take the stage at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $47.

Thursday, June 6

On the first Thursday of every month, the Rockingham Brewing Co. (1 Corporate Park Drive, Unit 1, Derry, 216-2324, rockinghambrewing.com) provides Ales and Alterations — Do you have a pile of clothes that are in need of a small repair or alteration? The pub will provide repair and alterations on the spot. Bring in an item, then sip a pint while you wait. Patches are available for purchase and can also be sewn on while you wait.

Thursday, June 6

Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Unit 4, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com) will host an evening of Sip and Script from 6 to 7:30 p.m., a workshop to introduce participants to modern calligraphy with a pointed dip pen and ink. This class includes 1 1/2 hours of instruction and a beginner’s calligraphy kit. Tickets are $65.

Friday, June 7

The theme of tonight’s First Friday, which runs from 4 to 8 p.m in downtown Concord, is Beach Party. Expect food trucks, live music, a live dance party with a limbo contest, volleyball on the Statehouse lawn, a wine tasting and much more. See intownconcord.org.

Saturday, June 8

There will be a public auction of 15 surplus City-owned properties at JFK Coliseum (303 Beech St. in Manchester, 624-6444) this morning at 10 a.m. The City of Manchester has identified 20 lots across 15 sites that are surplus to its needs. Of the 15 vacant lots, 12 were acquired by Tax Collector’s Deed. For more information, visit jsjauctions.com.

Saturday, June 8

Symphony NH will perform a concert of the Music of John Williams – Star Wars and More at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. The music of John Williams will include scores from Star Wars to Superman to Indiana Jones to Harry Potter and more. A pre-concert talk about the pieces performed will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20.75.

Monday, June 10

The Perimeter Jazz Ensemble, an 18-piece big band under the direction of Peter Hazzard, is set to make its debut performance at the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) auditorium at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $5; children age 12 and under are free.

Tuesday, June 11

The Red River Theaters (11 S Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) will host the first annual Creative Guts Short Film Festival from 6 to 9 p.m. The Festival will present short films by independent filmmakers from New Hampshire and beyond, of all backgrounds. The spirit of this festival is to celebrate the creativity, voice and collaboration of filmmakers. These films are not rated. Some films contain adult themes, language and violence, and may not be suitable for children. All films will be open-captioned. Tickets are $12 and available through Red River’s website.

Wednesday, June 12

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) will host an evening of Scratch Ticket Bingo tonight at 7 p.m. Chunky’s will divide up scratch tickets (supplied by Chunky’s) and play various bingo rounds throughout the night with a special jackpot for the last game. Tickets are $12 each and include a complimentary movie admission for a future movie and a $5 food voucher to be used toward a meal during the event. This purchase ensures a seat and a bingo card, and a $5 scratch ticket (provided by Chunky’s) gets added to the pot. Seats to this event are secured online only; there will be no walk-up access to this event.

Wednesday, June 12

The Dover Public Library and Teatotaller Café will host Dishing with Drag Queens; at the library at 6:30 p.m. Dive into a fabulous chat where drag stars spill the beans while glamming up! Unveil the secrets of the Queen world and snag some makeup tricks along the way. The night will end with a sassy mini-drag show. Featured performers include Morticiaa, Summer Rhaine and Mother Moon. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Dover Public Library.

Save the Date! Manchester Pride Parade, Saturday, June 15
Manchester’s Pride Week will start on Saturday, June 15, with a Pride Parade and Festival. The parade will begin at 11:15 a.m. and proceed down Elm Street to Veterans Park, where the Festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. There will be live entertainment, food trucks, local vendors and artists, and more. See the complete line-up of events at manchestertrue.org.

Featured photo: Stryper.

Quality of Life 24/06/06

NH residents spend less on vacations

According to an online story in the Boston Globe on May 30, New Hampshire residents spend less on vacations than residents of other New England states. Citing a recent study by a Canadian online casino, the story reported that New Englanders budget between $1,900 and $2,600 for a holiday away. But not us. As the Globe story stated, “Granite State residents are the thriftiest, with an annual vacation budget of just $450.”

QOL score: -1, because …

Comment: According to the same article, we also take fewer vacations, with people in New Hampshire and Maine only taking one vacation per year, compared to two vacations for residents of other New England residents.

But our trees get around

There is a newly planted tree at Barnstead Elementary School that has gone around the moon. According to a May 25 online story from WMUR, a recently planted American Sycamore tree was grown from a seed that traveled aboard NASA’s Artemis 1 space mission. WMUR reports that “on that mission, the seeds traveled more than 275,000 miles and orbited the moon.” Fourth-grade teacher Brittany Sylvian’s application was chosen from more than 2,000 by NASA to adopt a tree grown from one of the Artemis mission’s seeds.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to WMUR, it is currently the only “moon tree” in New Hampshire.

The secret was popcorn

Merrimack Fire Rescue and police responded to a call last week in the most adorable rescue of the week. According to a Nashua InkLink story from May 28, the rescue team responded to a report of several ducklings caught in a storm drain. The story reported that crews first “used buckets to try to scoop the duckling from the murky water in the drain,” but that ultimately the baby ducks were lured in with popcorn from the nearby Apple Cinemas.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The ducklings were returned to their mother after the hour-long rescue.

A soldier comes home

Northwood Army Sgt. Richard G. Hammond, who was killed in the Second World War, was finally returned to New Hampshire to be laid to rest last week, WMUR reported on May 23. According to the story, Sgt. Hammond “was 24 when he went missing in action on Feb. 17, 1943, after being struck by an enemy tank shell during a battle with German forces near Sbeitla, Tunisia. Officials said the explosion threw Hammond several yards from the blast site.” His remains were exhumed from a U.S. military cemetery in Algeria last September, after they were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Hammond was reinterred in Northwood Ridge Cemetery.

Last week’s QOL score: 69

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 71

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

C’s go for banner 18

The Big Story – Celtics in the NBA Finals: We’re at the point where pretty much everyone thought the Celtics would be: about to play in the NBA Finals. And as fate would have it the opposing Dallas Mavericks bring along Boston’s biggest sports villain of the day, Kyrie Irving, who has managed not to wreck his team for once.

At stake is the hugely important task of reclaiming their place as the most winning franchise in NBA history, something they’d been from the 1960s until 2020, when the Lakers tied them at 17 titles. Thus, winning number 18 would be the most significant title since Bird and company downed the Magic Johnson-, Kareem Jabbar-led Lakers in 1984.

To do that they’ll have to play better than they have so far, as despite being 12-2 in the playoffs they have yet to play their first start-to-finish solid game together. However, if they can hit on all cylinders, beating them is a tall order. Time will tell if that happens.

In the meantime it should be fun.

Sports 101: Name the only brother combination to ever play in a Super Bowl and the NBA Finals.

News Item – 5 Thoughts On Celtics-Mavs Series:

Tight Games Favor Dallas: First because Joe Mazzulla’s simplistic end-of-the-game strategy generally is isolating Jayson Tatum one on one, where he invariably wastes too much time and winds up taking a terrible shot, a Kobe-wannabe step-back 20-foot fall-away. Plus Luka Doncic is the best end-of-the-game shooter/scorer in the world. If he has the last shot Celts are in trouble.

Attack Kyrie Irving On D: He can’t cover my grandmother and the C’s need to make him pay for that from the first second of Game 1.

C’s Need Something from their Bench: Especially Sam Hauser, who’s been awful in the playoffs. Ditto for Payton Pritchard, who’s had some big moments but needs to be more consistent with his three-ball game.

Derek Lively is Mavs X Factor: Yes, I know he doesn’t start, Daniel Gafford does. But he’s still the best rookie center in the Finals since Alvin Adams in 1976. He hurt the Clippers, Oak City and Minnesota until he got hurt (when he was 16 for 16 in the series). The Celtics need to beware of him.

Time for Tatum and Brown: They’re no longer kids learning on the job. So no excuses. Time to show if they belong with great Celtics like Russell, Havlicek, Bird and Garnett.

Prediction: If they do, Celtics win in six. If not, fans will be screaming to trade one or both.

The Numbers:

13 & 16 –wins and losses for the Red Sox in their first 29 games at Fenway Park in what once was a great home field advantage.

142 – personal winning streak for the late Bill Walton, who died of cancer last week at 71. Dates back to his last two years in high school, his year on the freshman team at UCLA and his first 88 varsity games as a Bruin.

Random Thoughts:

I’m all for recognizing the great achievements of players in the Negro League. But commingling their stats with the major league baseball’s record book as announced by MLB last week is, well, dumb for a very simple reason. None of those players played in the major leagues. So putting Josh Gibson’s .372 lifetime average ahead of Ty Cobb’s .367 as the best ever average is like combining Pete Maravich’s phenomenal college scoring records with those of the NBA. The numbers were accumulated in different ways in different leagues. That doesn’t make sense to me.

Sports 101 Answer: The Walton brothers of San Diego, California, are the only brothers to play in a SB and NBA Finals. Bruce as an OL with Dallas in 1976 and Bill with Portland in 1977 and the Celtics 1986. Both played their college ball at UCLA.

Final Thought – Bill Walton: Certain people hit you a little more when they die. The Redhead was one of those people for me.

He was my favorite college player when I came of age as a young basketball player. Then there was his sheer fundamental artistry — he was always on his toes, never brought his arms or the ball down below his shoulders and was as “team first” as anyone I’ve seen. Third was he was a UCLA guy and I loved the Bruins during their dynasty years. Finally there was the 21 for 22 from the floor 44-point masterpiece to beat Memphis State in the 1973 NCAA Final, which was the best I ever saw anyone play.

Like Sandy Koufax, Gale Sayers and Bobby Orr his brilliance was snuffed out long before it should have been thanks to chronic foot injuries. But even with that it was a great ride. So thanks for the memories, big fella.

RIP.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Granite State stories

Mystery Stone and more at the NH Historical Society

Elizabeth Dubrulle is the Director of Education and Public Programs at the New Hampshire Historical Society as well as the editor of their publication, Historical New Hampshire. She talked about the importance of New Hampshire history and its mysteries that have yet to be uncracked. Visit nhhistory.org.

What does the Historical Society do?

We have a library and archive, which is probably one of the best, if not the best, collection of material related to the state of New Hampshire and its history. We have a museum with exhibits about different aspects of New Hampshire history, and we have a collection of over 35,000 objects related to New Hampshire and its past…. We are also the Presidential Library for Franklin Pierce. We hold manuscript collections for many well-known New Hampshire people, like David Souter and Daniel Webster. We offer field trips for kids — about 10,000 school kids a year come to the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. … We offer the statewide social studies curriculum called “Moose on the Loose,” … We support local historical societies and their work. We offer public programs, lectures, tours, workshops on how to do genealogy…. We do a lot of different things.

What is ‘Moose on the Loose’?

It’s an online resource and curriculum about state history, civics, geography and economics. It was created for kids, originally in grades 3 to 6, but we’re expanding it to encompass kindergarten all the way up through 8th grade. It’s a free resource and it’s an open access website. …. It has a lot of content and information but it also has all these images and videos and audio clips and activities and games and things that people can do to learn about New Hampshire history. It’s got lesson plans for educators, virtual field trips and projects…. The URL is moose.nhhistory.org.

What exactly is a presidential library?

We’re kind of the de facto presidential library. Franklin Pierce doesn’t have an official presidential library; modern presidents really have those. Essentially, we hold a huge collection of Franklin Pierce material documenting his political life, his personal life, his family life, his legal practice, all the activities he was involved in, so we have a lot of his possessions. He was a very active member here in the 19th century and he donated objects from his family like his father’s uniform from the American Revolution. We have Franklin Pierce’s sword from the Mexican American war, we have the pen with which he signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act…. His books from his personal library… .

Do you have a favorite historical fact about the Granite State?

Since we’re coming up on the anniversary of the American Revolution, I’ll throw this one out: New Hampshire, they wrote their own state constitution in January of 1776. … What was unique about their Constitution was that they didn’t mention any royal authority, so in a sense they were essentially the first state to declare independence six months before the rest of the colonies issued the Declaration of Independence.

Why is it important for people to learn the history of New Hampshire?

One is just there’s an awful lot to be interested in about New Hampshire and its history and to be proud of its history. It’s done a lot of great things … I also think in general people need to know history because it gives them a sense of perspective. .

What’s another fascinating or fun aspect of New Hampshire history?

One of the items we have in our collection is this thing called the Mystery Stone. It’s like an egg-shaped stone with carvings in it. It’s made out of a kind of rock that doesn’t exist in New Hampshire but it was found in New Hampshire. Nobody knows how it got here. The carvings look like they might be Native American, but they’re not, really. … It’s an out of place object that nobody can figure out how it got here and it was found in 1872 … We have it on display here. It’s been featured in documentaries and people come from all over the country to see the mystery stone. There are all sorts of wild theories about what it is, if it was made by aliens or if it got spewed out of a volcano somewhere else in the world and dropped here in New Hampshire or if it’s a hoax. … The Smithsonian tried to buy it and we refused. We kept it for ourselves. There’s just all sorts of fun and quirky things that you can always find in history. —Zachary Lewis

Featured image: Mystery Stone. Photo courtesy of the NH Historical Society.

News & Notes 24/06/06

Browntail moths

According to a press release, the New Hampshire Forest Health Bureau announced that Browntail moth caterpillar winter webs were located and removed at the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast in the first confirmed incident of the species in the Granite State in 75 years.

Browntail moth caterpillars have poisonous fine hairs that can produce skin rashes similar to poison ivy even when the exposure to them is airborne, and inhaling the hairs can also cause serious respiratory issues in some individuals, so people should not handle the caterpillars without wearing proper gloves and, if possible, a mask, according to the press release.

The species, which originated in Europe, is fuzzy with a dark brown coloration and has two conspicuous red-orange dots on the tail end. In New England, the moths’ caterpillar stage happens from August to late June, and from April through July is when the risk of exposure to the hairs is greatest, according to the press release.

Their winter webs are small, tight clumps on two or three leaves at the tip of a branch and tend to be completely enclosed in silk, formed in the fall and can be removed any time between November and mid-April; oak and apple trees are the primary hosts for browntail moth caterpillars, but winter webs can also be found in coastal shrubs like beach plum and cherry, as on the Isles of Shoals, according to the press release.

Browntail moth webs are different from the webs of the fall webworm, which are built into big nests in large areas of foliage in autumn, and they also differ from the webs of the eastern tent caterpillar, whose webs are also large but only occur in spring, according to the release.

The browntail moth was accidentally introduced to North America in the late 1800s and spread to all the states of New England, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, according to the release.

Massive federal work projects in the 1920s and 1930s, in cooperation with biocontrol research, reduced the infestation area to a small region along the Maine coast but in 2022 the browntail moth was found in more than 150,000 acres, although mostly in the southern half of the state, according to the same release. Visit nhbugs.org for more information about how to identify browntail moth caterpillars or to report any sightings.

Traditional art grant

The deadline for the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts’ Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant is Friday, June 14, according to their website.

This grant is offered to help communities preserve their cultural heritage and funds a master traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 65 hours over six to 10 months, according to the website.

Traditional arts are passed down from one generation to the next within communities andcan evolve as people, communities and the environment interact and transform, according to the website. The State Council on the Arts through its Heritage and Traditional Arts Program seeks to grant a master artist and apprentice team a combined total of up to $4,000 per year with the maximum request for the master artist $3,000 and the maximum request for the apprentice $1,000, according to the same website.

Any traditional artists active in any artistic or cultural expression that can demonstrate there is a community context for the tradition within New Hampshire may apply for a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant. The grant period is Saturday, Nov. 1, 2024, through Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2025. For details on eligibility, types of art included, and how to apply, visit nh.gov/nharts/programservices/traditionalarts.html.

Clinic closures

According to a recent press release from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, since the unexpected closure of all New England Medicine and Counseling Associates locations in New Hampshire and Vermont, NEMCA patients with prescriptions for controlled medications should try to re-establish care with another medical provider.

According to the release, Emergency Departments may see an increase in patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms or requesting buprenorphine, a medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder, until they can establish with another medical provider.

The New Hampshire locations impacted are at 120 Route 10 South in Grantham, 17 Coit View Drive in Newport, 376 S. Willow St. in Manchester, and 40 Winter St. in Rochester

In a statement, DHHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Ballard said that “when patients who have been treated with medications like buprenorphine suddenly lose access to their medication, they are at increased risk of an opioid overdose and may have significant withdrawal symptoms if care is not reestablished quickly.”

The opioid overdose reversal agent naloxone can be obtained through all New Hampshire Doorway locations (thedoorway.nh.gov) or over the counter at pharmacies across the state.

Patients of New England Medicine and Counseling who need assistance with finding a new medical provider can reach out to 211 in New Hampshire.

Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia (928 White Oaks Road, prescottfarm.org) will host a workshop on “Poisonous Plants and Natural Hazards” on Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. Discover the healing properties of plantain, a common weed found in lawns and fields. Free for members and $25 for nonmembers to register. Visit prescottfarm.org.

Manchester Makerspace (36 Old Granite St.) invites amateur locksmiths for a fun and interactive event to learn the art of lock manipulation at Locksport for Dads on Monday, June 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for any adult, or $55 for a father and offspring (recommended for ages 12+). See manchestermakerspace.org. The Makerspace is also hosting an open house night from 6 to 10 p.m. that night.

Led Zeppelin tribute show Kashmir comes to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) Saturday, June 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

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