The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Snaps for Ovation: Legally Blonde The Musical will be presented by Ovation Theatre Co. on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20, featuring performers ages 15 to adult, at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway, Derry). The show follows Elle Woods, who appears to have it all but whose life is turned upside down when her boyfriend dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law; Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school, where she quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. See ovationtc.com.
• How very: Heathers: The Musical by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the 1989 film, produced by Ro Gavin Collaborative Theater and presented by Hatbox Theatre (715-2315, hatboxnh.com) and Manchester Community Theatre Players, runs July 12 through July 21 with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at MCTP Theater at the North End Montessori School in Manchester (689 Beech St.). The musical is based on the 1989 film, the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful, ruthless, shoulder-padded clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $25 for students/seniors/members, $22 for senior members. See hatboxnh.com for content details.
GET ON YOUR FEET Londonderry’s Concerts on the Common features East Coast Soul on Wednesday, July 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Londonderry Town Common (265 Mammoth Road). The band creates a high-octane live experience that keeps audiences on their feet, dancing and singing along with Motown classics of the 1960s as well as today’s hottest hits, and is one of the most highly sought after ensembles in New England, according to a press release. In case of inclement weather the concert will be held inside the Londonderry High School cafeteria. Visit concertsonthecommon.org.
• Talking art: Twiggs Gallery, in partnership with Concord Makerspace, is launching the Third Thursday Discussion Series: Building Creative Communities beginning on Thursday, July 18, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) and will feature an open-style panel discussion inviting audience interaction and feedback that is free and open to the public. In a statement, Twiggs Gallery director Laura Morrison said, “Our goal is to engage the local creative community in discussions about how we can all work together to help each other grow, not only as creative beings but as a thriving creative community that benefits everybody.” The first discussion will concern “Concord Sound & Color,” a new two-day art and music festival that will be taking place at venues and outdoor locations throughout Concord in October, according to the release. The featured panelists are Fallon Rae, a co-owner of PILLAR Gallery+ Projects; Jessica Martin, Executive Director of Intown Concord; and Beth Fenstermacher, the Director of Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives for the City of Concord. Visit ConcordMakerspace.org and TwiggsGallery.org.
In her new novel Beautiful and Terrible Things, S.M. Stevens follows the friendship of six individuals, from early, nascent stages to close knit, and uses their shared lives to explore a range of hot-button topics in an admirably even-handed manner. The author will read from it and sign copies at Bookery in Manchester on July 19.
The book is set in an unknown city, a bold decision intended to underscore the universality of many social issues in its pages, Stevens said by phone recently. “These conversations and events are taking place in a lot of Western countries today,” she said. “I just think the story means more to people if they can see it happening in what they consider their city.”
Racism, gender, climate change, mental health and immigration are all addressed. When it comes to the latter, Stevens hopes readers will take away one bit of knowledge. “One of my goals in writing this was to remind people that no matter what your view is on an issue, there are always real people behind the statistics,” she said. “We do well to remember that.”
Without being pedantic, Stevens presents social questions as a school teacher might, asking people to fully study and think them through. If readers don’t arrive at a place of compassion for the many struggles the book’s characters face, maybe they’ll come away with some understanding.
“I wanted to show various views on some of the stickier issues,” Stevens said. “Now, there are no two sides to racism — it’s just wrong — but immigration is a really complex issue. On that one, I tried to present varying views.”
The character Jess is a rising professional and the daughter of immigrants who’s sometimes needled about her citizenship status. Jess brushes off such queries, comfortable in knowing she’s U.S.-born to legally naturalized parents. That changes when a woman who works in her childhood home and helped raise her has an immigration problem that’s too complicated to write off as “those folks” coming across the border.
Stevens employs other real-life stories to highlight social questions. Jess dates a Black member of the group; witnessing him encounter systemic racism is an eye-opening experience for her. One character has mental health issues that his friends try to understand and help with; another is nonbinary and helps to explain their experience with delicacy.
The book’s main characters are all millennials; Stevens has two daughters in that age group. “They are more passionate about equality and the planet and social justice than most people I know,” she said. “I think characters on the cusp of age 30 are asking all those really cool questions about their lives. Am I in the right career? Should I be married by now? Do I want to have kids? That’s a really important stage of life for most adults. That was why I chose it.”
More than anything, the novel is a fun read about people from different backgrounds getting to know each other, doing things like enjoying weekend trips or going to a demonstration.
“I hope it entertains people,” Stevens said. “I think reading is a pastime unless you’re doing it for school and education. It should be fun, it should be entertaining, and you should love the characters and not want to leave them behind at the end.”
Much of the novel’s action happens at an independent bookstore one of the characters manages that becomes a flashpoint for looking at gentrification and who it affects. In the book’s acknowledgements, Stevens notes that the store is inspired in part by Gibson’s in Concord, where she once did a reading.
Stevens lives north of Hillsborough, having moved to New Hampshire with her husband in 2020 to live in a house on a pond that he’d built there 35 years earlier. Beautiful and Terrible Things is her second adult novel, following Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and two books written for younger readers.
S.M. Stevens Author reads from her new novel Beautiful and Terrible Things, followed by Q&A and book signings. When: Friday, July 19, 5 p.m. Where: Bookery, 844 Elm St., Manchester Tickets: free, register at eventbrite.com
It’s pretty much what it sounds like — a bicycle with a small electric motor to help a rider power through the tough parts of a bike ride in which they otherwise pedal, and wave to friends, and do other bike-ridey things. The website for Trek Bicycle Hooksett says, “Electric bikes (also known as e-bikes and electric assist bikes) amplify your pedaling power thanks to an electric drive system. There are many different kinds of e-bikes, but all of them use an electric motor and battery to help you power your bike.”
“An e-bike is born as a bike,” said Mark Dimenico, owner of Rail Trail eBikes in Derry. “You can pedal it like a regular bike; it lets you do most of the pedaling, but there’s a sensor, and every time you make a momentum of the pedal, a revolution, the sensor kicks the motor on and it holds it on at a steady pace.”
Who rides an e-bike?
E-bikers seem to come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Some have injuries that make it difficult for them to ride a conventional bicycle.
“They come in and they’re looking for a bike,” said Dimenico of Rail Trail eBikes. “They have their bikes, but they can’t ride them anymore or they get a knee operation or a hip operation. Maybe they don’t have the strength [to ride a conventional bicycle].
Amy Faust of Raymond is this type of rider. She had a long-standing back injury that kept her from riding bikes with her friends.
“I used my friend’s e-bike and we went on a great bike ride,” she said. “My husband was like, ‘I can’t even believe you’re doing this; you look so happy.’ So then we ended up just going and looking, and he’s like, ‘Nope, we’re going to buy you one that fits you perfect, because you just, you liked it so much.’”
Others want help easing into riding. David Fritz of Trek Bicycle described some of his customers:
“They come in and just are getting back into [bike riding] or just getting into it,” he said, “and they just, they want to go further. They want a helping hand. You have commuters that may not have access to a shower at work. On a hot summer’s day, you’re getting that helping hand; you don’t show up to work all sweaty.”
E-bikes aren’t just used recreationally. Some municipalities use them for times when it would be awkward to use conventional vehicles. The Derry Fire Department confirmed in a telephone interview that it has deployed e-bikes for the past two marathons in Derry and plans to do so in the future. E-bikes allow medical personnel to weave through a crowd of runners to get to people who need medical care.
The Derry Public Library recently acquired two e-bikes with an eye toward using them to tow a small trailer to book events.
“Our plan is that once we get [our bike program] rolling,” said Jessica Delangie, Head of Technical Services for the Library, “we’ll be able to take the bike out to different events. Obviously we’re right next door to the park, but we could take it to the park for any event there, but then also the splash pad, farmers market, that kind of thing.” Library staff will be able to take books to book clubs, Delangie said, or to off-site story times. Eventually, the Library hopes to use the e-bikes to make home deliveries.
Isn’t riding an e-bike cheating?
According to David Topham, the founder and treasurer of the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire (2 Whitney Road, Suite 11, Concord, 410-5848, bwanh.org), not unless you’re racing. Otherwise, it’s not like there’s a bike-riding purity test, even when riding in a group.
“You know, you’ve got this little motor helping you out on the hills,” Topham said. “We’ve got to work our tails off going up the hills. Are we cheating? The bottom line — the feeling I got from the bicycling community — is that no, the idea of a club is our camaraderie, people out having some fun, enjoying the fresh air, go out for the ride, go out for … probably a beer and a coffee or a pizza or something after the ride — this person’s got the little probably half-horsepower motor assisting them on a hill but they’re out there enjoying the company of others.”
Are e-bikes all the same?
EZ Rider from Rail Trail eBikes in Derry — a heavyweight, rugged e-bike, is good for commuting or trails. Photos by John Fladd.
There are many, many different types of e-bikes, from different manufacturers, at different price points. According to ReallyGoodeBikes.com, an online e-bike retailer, there are currently 250 brands of e-bikes in the U.S. and 500 in Europe.
“There’s road bikes with skinny tires,” Mark Dimenico from Rail Trail eBikes said, “for people who want to just drive on the road and go to work. And then there’s off-road bikes with fatter tires, for going up hills and through streams and over little jumps. They’re pretty much built to encompass all the different kinds of riding. You can ride them on gravel, sand, snow, the street, paved areas and non-paved areas. The bikes are set up so they can pretty much handle all conditions.”
For riders who want extra stability, he said, there are e-tricycles.
David Fritz from Trek Bicycle described something called a comfort hybrid.
“A comfort hybrid puts you in a more upright, more comfortable position,” Fritz said. “You can get it with a regular frame or a step-through frame. There’s a suspension seat post that helps take the sting out of the bumps. They come fully equipped with fenders and racks, with a rack on it. All of them come with a light that comes on. Most of them come with a little bell.”
In addition to all this, however, there is still another distinction to consider when looking at e-bikes: class. There are three classes of e-bikes:
• Class 1 provides an electric assist only while pedaling.
• Class 2 provides electric assist while pedaling and also by throttle control, a button or a twist grip. It can go up to 20 miles an hour.
• Class 3 has motor power. Using motor power only, it still cuts out at 20 mph, but as a pedal assist it can go 28 mph.
David Topham was instrumental in pushing through legislation in New Hampshire to codify these classes into law in 2018. The goal was to legally classify e-bikes as bicycles rather than motor vehicles.
“The way the law is written is that Class 1 and 2 are allowed on rail trails. Class 3, because it has the option of getting assistance for 28 [mph], is technically not allowed on rail trails,” Topham said.
Where can I ride an e-bike?
Because e-bikes are officially classified as bicycles in New Hampshire, they can mostly be ridden anywhere a non-powered bicycle can.
“I travel a lot with friends,” Mark Dimenico said. “We go out for rides in the evening and we go to places and do things and we take the bike paths or we take the back roads. [My friends are] just like, ‘I didn’t know this was out here. I didn’t know this trail was there. I didn’t know this lake was here. I didn’t know this stream was here or this view was there.’ They were so amazed by this little trail and all of a sudden we’re on the side of Lake Massabesic on a beach.”
Owning an e-bike has opened up many new places for Amy Faust.
“I had a group of friends,” Faust said. “Some had e-bikes, some didn’t, and we just started doing some group bike-riding, and I was able to do a 30-mile bike ride because I had my e-bike. And so it’s just been really fun. Most of the time I go on the rail trail and trails like that, but once in a while I’ll do a group ride on the road with friends. We just got a camper and we’re going to bring our bikes to different places all around and travel and part of that will be riding our bikes.”
Electra Townie Go! Step-Thru commuter e-bikes at Trek Bicycle Hooksett. Photo by John Fladd.
David Topham sees e-bikes as a force for social change. He said that riding e-bikes “draws people together through a common interest, and collectively we call e-bikes … a great equalizer. I’m highly involved — the co-founder — of the Granite State Wheelers Bicycling Club in Nashua. We’ve been doing road rides primarily now for 53 years. A lot of times, one person in the family might have better strength or skills than the other. But if they still want to go out and have some fun together, one person could be on the conventional pedal variety bike, and the other one might get a little assistance out of an e-bike, and they have a wonderful time because they’re now still together doing a fun thing outdoors.”
Mark Dimenico has been impressed by the way e-bikes allow older riders to stay connected to a community.
“There’s a group in Derry,” Dimenico said, “and they call themselves the Golden Eagles. And they’re all octogenarians — they’re 80 years old plus, and they all ride e-bikes.”
How much does an e-bike cost?
As with most consumer goods, there is a wide range of prices among e-bikes.
“We’ve got bikes that adults or teens can ride that start out at $550,” said Mark Dimenico. “We’ve got one for $699. We’ve got a few of them for $1,200. The average price is $1,600. Our most expensive Class 3 bike is $1,900.”
But, he said, as with everything, there’s always a more expensive version.
“We get bikes from manufacturers and some of these bikes can run $12,000 to $13,000,” Dimenico said.
Fuel EXe 9.5 Deore, a trail e-bike, at Trek Bicycle Hooksett. Photo by John Fladd.
As an example of the price range of e-bikes, ReallyGoodEbikes.com has a category on its website for “eBikes Under $1,000 with 16 models, mostly starting at $800. At the high end, there are Class 3 mountain bike e-bikes for 10 times that price. As of July 10, one — the Bakcou Storm Jäger — carried a list price of $8,199.
E-bike retailers say a new rider should buy an e-bike from an actual bike shop, rather than from a big-box store or online. It’s likely that an e-bike will eventually need repairs, and there is a much better chance of a shop being able to repair a model that it sells.
“Most places only work on their own bikes that they sell,” said Mark Dimenico. “There are probably 10,000 bikes now that are on the market. New companies are coming out every day. They’re selling bikes and then they’re going out of business. They’re just leaving a trail of bikes behind that are all broken down and with no support, no parts.”
Buying according to the cheapest price tag can be a very short-term bargain, he said: “They [customers] usually end up buying them online and bringing them to us because they need a lot of repairs. [The bikes] come in a box and there’s really nobody to fix it for them. Things break on them and they’re cheaply made and they’re inexpensive and you get what you pay for in this business. We do a lot of repair work for all sorts of different brands that people buy and sometimes they’re brand new and they’re broken down the next day and what do you do?”
What is the future like for e-bikes?
When asked about the future of e-bikes, David Fritz stuck two thumbs up, and gestured to the ceiling.
“It’s going up and up and up,” he said. “I’d say 25 percent of our sales are e-bikes. I don’t know the exact numbers. But yeah, it’s booming.”
David Topham agreed.
“The use and sale of regular road bikes — not talking e-bikes, just the style of skinny-tire road bikes — sales have dropped off approximately 40 percent since Covid,” Topham said. Meanwhile sales of e-bikes are surging. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (energy.gov), sales of ebikes have risen significantly each year since 2019. “In 2018,” it reported on its website, “there were 325,000 e-bike sales.” But “[in] 2022, there were 1.1 million e-bikes sold in the United States.”
E-BIKE DEALERSHIPS The Bike Barn 720 Union St., Manchester, 668-6555, bikebarnusa.com Cycles Etc. 450 Second St., Manchester, 669-7993; 288 N. Broadway, Salem, 890-3212; cyclesetc.com DG Cycle Sports 44 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 216-2022; 75 Railroad Ave, Epping, 734-5788; dgcycles.com Electric Bikes of New England 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 319-4909, ebikesofne.com Exeter Cycles 4 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter, 778-2331, exetercycles.com EZ Electric Bikes & Scooters 61 Epping Road, Exeter, 778-1402, ezbikesandscooters.com Goodale’s Bike Shop 14B Broad St., Nashua, 882-2111, trekbikes.com Pedego Electric Bikes 236 N. Broadway, Suite F, Salem, 458-2094, pedegoelectricbikes.com Rail Trail eBikes 22 E. Broadway, Suite 2, Derry, 216-5034, railtrailebikes.com S&W Sports 296 S. Main St., Concord, 228-1441, swsports.net Trek Bicycle 19 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, 225-5111; 1197 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 644-2111; trekbikes.com
E-bike the trails
Charge up those e-bikes and zip down a trail today.
These are rail trail segments in southern New Hampshire. E-bikes that are Class 1 (“pedal-assist” only, max assisted speed 20 mph) or Class 2 (throttle-assisted, max assisted speed 20 mph) are allowed on the trails, according to the New Hampshire Rail Trail Coalition. Rail trail information was compiled from nhrtc.org.
Ashuelot Rail Trail, Keene to Winchester, 21 miles (primarily gravel trail, but paved road in and near Keene)
Brookline Rail Trail, Brookline to Milford, 4.4 miles
Cheshire Rail Trail North, Keene to Walpole, 17.8 miles (primarily gravel trail, but paved road in and near Keene)
Cheshire Rail Trail South. Fitzwilliam to Keene, 18.5 miles
Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, Concord to Newbury, 35 miles — still in its planning phase but there are completed segments: Stevens Rail Trail, Warner to Hopkinton, 1.3 miles; Tilly-Wheeler Rail Trail and Lower Lake Todd segment, Bradford, 1 mile; Warner Rail Trail, Warner, 1 mile; Fisherville Road to Carter Hill Road, Concord, 2.5 miles
Derry Rail Trail, Derry to Windham, 4 miles (paved road)
Dover Rail Trail, Dover, 3.8 miles (paved road)
Farmington Rail Trail, Farmington, 6 miles
Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail, Hinsdale, 8 miles
Goffstown Rail Trail, Goffstown to Manchester, 5.5 miles
Granite Town Rail Trail, Milford to Brookline, 3 miles
Harrisville Rail Trail, Harrisville, includes Chesham Depot Rail Trail section, 0.5 mile; Skatutakee Lake Road & trail section, 1.4 miles; East View Trail section, 1.4 miles; Jaquith Rail Trail section, Hancock to Harrisville, 1.5 miles
Heads Pond Rail Trail, Hooksett, 1.7 miles
Hillsborough Rail Trail, Hillsborough, 8 miles
Lilac City Greenway, Rochester, 1.2 miles
Londonderry Rail Trail, Londonderry, 4.5 miles (paved road)
Mascoma River Greenway, Lebanon, 3 miles (paved road)
Mason–Greenville Rail Trail, Mason to Greenville, 9.1 miles
Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashua to Ayer, Mass., 12 miles (paved road)
Nashua Heritage Rail Trail, Nashua, 1.3 miles (paved road)
New Boston Rail Trail, New Boston, 4 miles
Monadnock Rail Trail, Jaffrey to Rindge, 7.5 miles
Peterborough Rail Trail, Peterborough to Hancock, 6 miles
Piscataquog Rail Trail, Manchester to Goffstown, 2 miles (paved road)
Potanipo Rail Trail, Brookline to Hollis, 6.5 miles
Rockingham Rail Trail, Fremont Branch, Windham to Epping, 18 miles
Rockingham Rail Trail, Portsmouth Branch, Manchester to Newfields, 25.3 miles
Salem Bike-Ped Corridor, Salem to Windham, 5.2 miles (2 miles paved road, the rest gravel)
South Manchester Rail Trail, Manchester, 2.4 miles (paved road)
Windham Rail Trail, Windham to Derry, 4.1 miles (paved road)
Featured image: Rail 8 from Trek Bicycle Hooksett. photo by John Fladd.
The Pierce Manse (14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord) will host a concert on the lawn tonight beginning at 7 p.m. Nevers’ Second Regiment Band will play. The concert will be preceded by an open house and ice cream social from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Bring a chair and a snack.
Thursday, July 18
Learn how to create a wire tree in any style you want on an fist-sized rock you provide during a 21+ two-hour class from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at Spyglass Brewing Co. (306 Innovative Way, Nashua, 546-2965, spyglassbrewing.com). Each $75 ticket includes a free beer and all the tools and materials needed.
Friday, July 19
The Canvas Roadshow (Bedford Square, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 913-9217, thecanvasroadshow.com) will host a DIY 3D Woodshop Project workshop tonight at 6:30 p.m. for $25.
Saturday, July 20
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) will hold its Classic Car Show today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rescheduled due to weather from July 13). Vehicles of all makes and eras are welcome. Trophies will be given out for the People’s Choice Award and the Museum Award. Vehicle registration is $10, or you can come as a spectator for $5 (cash only; kids ages 12 and under are free). See nhahs.org.
Saturday, July 20
The New Hampshire Center for Photography’s first annual photo flea market will take place under the big tent at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St, Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Hang out with fellow New Hampshire photographers and browse a selection of film and digital cameras, lenses, darkroom equipment, printers, studio lighting and assorted other gear. There will be a “free” table with assorted photographic treasures. There will also be photographic prints for sale.
Saturday, July 20
The Barley House Restaurant and Tavern (132 N. Main St, Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) will host a ’90s Night full of ’90s food, dress, drinks and music. DJ Maltese will spin all your favorite hits from the decade that brought us grunge, boy bands and epic dance moves. There will be a Best Dressed contest, a photo booth, and nostalgic cocktails from the ’90s. Tickets are $15 and are available through the Barley House website.
Sunday, July 21
Catch the band Another Tequila Sunrise today at 2 p.m. in Stark Park on River Road in north Manchester. The event is part of the Friends of Stark Park’s summer concert series, which will run Sundays at 2 p.m. through Aug. 25 (with a Manchester Community Summer band concert on Monday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m.). See starkpark.com.
Save the Date! Saturday, July 27 On Saturday, July 27, Main Street in Nashua will be a walkable feast of art for the first annual Summer Stroll. From kids’ activities to live art-creation battles with Positive Street Art to vendors of bespoke items, downtown Nashua will become an open-invitation party. There will be live music throughout the day, food trucks and more. Between 3 and 8 p.m., Main Street from Pearl Street to Temple Street will be a pedestrian-only public space.
Featured photo: Car Show at Aviation Museum. Courtesy Photo.
The Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) has announced its newest Culinary Artist-In-Residence: Susan Chung of Sue’s Kimbap House. Chung will work with the Capitol Center, using its two commercial kitchens, and selling her food at the Capitol Center and the Bank of NH concession stands throughout her residency. On its website, the Capitol Center said the residency program “works with newly arrived or marginalized community members who want to start a culinary business. This program allows these new entrepreneurs to build their food business in a low-risk way.” Chef Chung specializes in kimbap, a Korean street food made with seaweed, rice and vegetables, fish or meat.
QOL score: +1
Comment:Chef Chung describes kimbap as “more than a meal — it’s a bundle of joy wrapped in tradition.”
Eggcellent news for (some) loons
Observers of the live Loon Cam hosted by the Loon Preservation Committee (183 Lees Mill Road, Moultonborough, 476-5666, loon.org) reported that one of the eggs in Nest No. 2, somewhere in the Lakes Region, had started to hatch. According to the Committee’s webcam site, several excited viewers saw a “pip,” a small hole caused by a hatching chick, in one of the eggs at 5 p.m. on June 14. “After some debate and close inspection, the Loon Cam Operator confirmed that there was indeed a pip, sparking a wave of excitement among the chatters,” the website reported. The new loon was reported to have fully hatched by July 15. Meanwhile, things went less well at Nest No. 1. “LoonCam 1 Live Broadcast was terminated the morning of July 12 because the loons abandoned the nest after two eggs [were] crushed,” the Loon Cam site reported.
QOL score: +1
Comment: To view footage of the latest hatching, visit the Committee’s YouTube video “Loon Chick Hatching.”
Measles spotted
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release on July 9 that it had “confirmed a measles infection in an unvaccinated New Hampshire resident.” The infection, the DHHS said, “is likely the result of exposure to an international traveler with measles who visited Hanover in late June.” This case follows a confirmed infection in Vermont that is also linked to the international traveler. “The total number of individuals associated with this measles cluster is three,” the DHHS stated. According to the Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov), “As of July 11, a total of 167 measles cases were reported by 24 jurisdictions [in the United States].” This includes this incident. The DHHS press release quoted Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire State Epidemiologist: “Measles is a highly contagious but preventable disease,” he said. “The two-dose measles vaccine provides lifelong protection in most people, and it is the best protection against measles and complications of infection. Anybody who is not vaccinated is strongly encouraged to talk with their healthcare provider about completing the vaccine series.”
QOL score: -2
Comment: Anyone with questions or concerns about this confirmed infection can contact DPHS at 271-4496. To learn more about measles, visit the CDC website.
QOL score: 74
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 74
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
Christine Gagnon, founder of the newly formed New Hampshire Mycological Society and owner of the Uncanoonuc Foraging Co., shares her expertise on mushrooms. The New Hampshire Mycological Society will host an urban foraging walk in Manchester at Stark Park (550 River Road) on Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. Their mission statement is as follows:“Fostering knowledge, inclusivity, and enthusiasm for fungi, the New Hampshire Mycological Society unites a community passionate about mushrooms. Through education, exploration, and advocacy, we promote sustainable practices, deepen understanding, and inspire a profound connection to the mushroom kingdom and its ecology.” Visit uncforaging.com or the New Hampshire Mycological Society’s Facebook page for more information.
What is Uncanoonuc Foraging Co.?
I live in Goffstown close to the [Uncanoonuc] mountains so I just decided to use that as the name of my company. I basically started that company to teach others about mushrooms and about foraging. I lead a lot of walks, I give a lot of talks and presentations to different groups like the Boy Scouts or garden clubs, conservation boards, things like that.
What types of edible mushrooms can you find in the area?
In the hundreds, three digits. Quite a lot. But … as time goes on and you learn more, the numbers increase … for the easy ones, it’s easily 10 or 20 for people who are just out foraging for edible stuff. There are things like oyster mushrooms, or black trumpets, or chanterelles, or hen of the woods, or chicken of the woods, or Black Standing Polypore different milk caps. There’s just tons of different edible mushrooms … all kinds of yummy goodness in the woods.
What are some good safety tips when foraging mushrooms?
Don’t eat something unless you 100 percent feel confident that you are able to identify it on your own. That’s the No. 1 rule. Just don’t eat something because you think you know what it is. Eat something because you know what it is and you know that it’s safe.
Can you expand on what the New Hampshire Mycological Society is and any upcoming foraging events?
It’s very newly formed. Right now we’re working on deciding on board members and what the job descriptions, so to speak, would be for each … and then from there we will start filling out all the paperwork to apply for a nonprofit status so that we can continue to grow and offer events in different places…. There are two other small mushroom groups in New Hampshire. One is out in the Monadnock region and one is in Sunapee. We kind of felt a need to form a group that might reach out to different parts of the state and one of the things that’s important to us too is spreading the word and including people in cities who might not necessarily have access to trails out in the country, because there is a lot of foraging that can be done in urban centers. So for our first walk we decided to go ahead and plan one in Manchester in the park so people in the city can get a different point of view … to say, ‘Hey look, these things are out here in your city and you probably weren’t even aware.’ Just to bring that knowledge and that love of mushrooms and fungi to people who can’t always get out of the city. I think we want to expand that at some point and we may do some in Nashua and some other big cities as well and not always focus just out in the country, out in the suburbs.
What are your top two or three favorite mushrooms?
Chicken of the woods. I’m just going to give you common names. Chanterelles, oh goodness, can I give you four? Hen of the woods and black trumpets. Then there’s more, though, because I also like hedgehogs and I also like the milk caps.
— Zachary Lewis
Urban mushroom foraging walk Hosted by New Hampshire Mycological Society When: Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. Where: Stark Park (550 River Road, Manchester) Free and limited to 30 people ages 10+; advance registration is required. Register at uncforaging.com.
