The Hippo Press – Page 11

Very short movies

Nashua holds its annual Tiny Film Festival

The Nashua Public Library’s 2nd Annual Tiny Film Festival is now accepting 60-second film submissions in all genres until March 6, with a screening and awards ceremony on Saturday, March 9, at 3 p.m. Pamela Baker, programming and marketing librarian, discussed the festival’s inspiration, its focus on fostering creativity across all ages and how it serves as a platform for community engagement and storytelling.

What was the inspiration behind starting the Tiny Film Festival, and why focus on 60-second films?

The film festival idea grew out of two things we noticed here at the library. One, we’ve met so many creative customers through our programs, especially our craft programs and writing workshops. Part of our mission is to support this kind of lifelong learning; the festival is an opportunity for people of all ages to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. … As the quality of filming on phones gets better and more and more people of all ages get comfortable using their phones, this also seemed like an opportunity that most people could take advantage of. And for anyone who doesn’t have access to a phone, the library offers free computers where people could create a film. Our Teen Room specifically offers free stop-motion cameras and other technology that teens could use as well. Second, we’re very lucky to have a movie theater space here in Nashua. We have many older adults who come to our free movie series — we show classic films every Sunday afternoon and new releases on Tuesdays — and reminisce about the time that Nashua had several movie theaters. The festival is a great way to remind the community that every week there is a space you can go to relax and watch free films with other people, which is still a special part of going to the movies. … And, because the films are only 60 seconds, we were able to screen all the entries at last year’s festival.

How has the festival evolved since its inaugural event last year?

During last year’s festival, so many people remarked that they loved how connected they all felt watching these stories from their friends, family or even neighbors. In response, this year we’re focusing on enhancing those connections by creating more time to “party.” We’re opening the doors early for our red carpet photo booth and offering free popcorn. We hope people stay after the awards to meet the creators and talk about the films over light refreshments.

Can you describe the judging process and how the Nashua Public Library staff determines the winners?

Our staff love watching these films but hate having to pick just three for awards. We have three age groups for the festival: kids, teens and adults. Our Youth Services team judges the kids and teen entries, and the rest of the staff judge the adult films. Everyone votes through an anonymous form for their top three picks.

What do you look for in a winning submission, and do the criteria differ between age groups?

We judge the films on the same criteria for each age group. We evaluate based on originality, creativity, plot, pacing and structure, characters, cinematography, sound quality and music score.

With the festival open to all genres, have you noticed any trends in the types of films submitted by different age groups?

We’ve noticed that the kids’ age group is excellent at using toys as props in their stories and seem so comfortable in using different technology like stop-motion cameras. Their films are so fun to watch. We were blown away at the artistry of the teen films, especially the technology students at Nashua High South. The teens weren’t afraid to tackle big themes and really captured their perspectives on life well. Those were actually the types of films we expected to see from adults, not teens.

After the festival, how does the Nashua Public Library plan to showcase the winning films and engage with the participants and audience?

We launched a new website in the fall, so while we weren’t able to host the videos for everyone to watch on our old website, this year we’ll have a page dedicated to the festival where everyone can watch the winners and get inspired to make their own films for next year’s festival.

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/02/22

Two food recalls

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services, is advising consumers not to eat foods included in a recall of products containing Rizo-Lopez dairy products including Bright Farms Inc. Southwest Chipotle salad kits (sold at Hannaford and Price Chopper), Dole Fresh Vegetables Avocado Ranch Dole Chopped Kit (sold at Shaw’s), Ready Meals and store-made taco kits sold at Shaw’s and Southwest Chicken Wrap sold at Costco, according to a press release from Feb. 14. “A national outbreak of Listeria infections has been linked to cheese made by this company,” the release said. See the FDA website, fda.gov/food (click on “Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness”), for a full list of products related to this recall. “At this time, no illnesses related to this Listeria outbreak have been identified in New Hampshire,” the release said.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services also sent out a press release on Feb, 14 “advising residents not to consume ready-to-eat meat charcuterie products containing Coppa, a type of dry-cured pork, produced by Fratelli Beretta USA Inc.” “The meat has been recalled because it may have been under processed and could be contaminated with foodborne pathogens,” the release said. The recalled products were distributed nationwide to stores including New Hampshire stores Walmart, Costco, Market Basket and Hannaford, the release said. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with local and state partners, are investigating an ongoing outbreak of Salmonellainfections potentially linked to RTE Coppa products. To date, there has been one illness associated with the Salmonella outbreak in New Hampshire,” the release said. See fsis.usda.gov/recalls for all the products in the recall. Call DHHS Division of Public Health Services at 271-4496 with questions about either recall.

Democracy, knitting

New Hampshire Humanities is presenting a series of events that look at different aspects of elections and voting called “Knit Together Democracy,” according to a newsletter. Materials will be provided and knitters of all skill levels as well as non-knitters are welcome, the newsletter said. The series leads up to a “Knit Democracy Together” exhibit, which will open Thursday, June 13, at 1 p.m. at the New Hampshire State Library (20 Park St. in Concord) featuring a collaborative sculpture of the New Hampshire Statehouse crafted by citizen crafters and Knit Democracy Together founder Eve Jacobs-Carnahan, the newsletter said. See nhhumanities.org/Knit-Democracy-Together for a list of upcoming events and to register.

Special screening

The Friends of NH Drug Courts and the Hillsborough County (South) Drug Court present at screening of the film The 50, a documentary about 50 men who became certified substance abuse counselors while incarcerated, on Monday, April 29, at 6 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St.; nashuacenterforthearts.com), according to a press release. The event will feature a post-screening panel moderated by Judge Tina Nadeau and feature three of the film’s cast members, the release said. Tickets cost $25 and proceeds go to Friends of NH Drug Courts, the release said. See the50film.com for the movie’s trailer and to learn more.

Walk against hunger

Families in Transition will hold its 34th annual Walk Against Hunger on Sunday, March 19, at noon in Veterans Park in Manchester, according to a press release. The event costs $15 to register, $25 to get a T-shirt, the release said. Register by March 31 at 11:59 p.m. to be eligible to win a Yeti cooler, the release said. This year’s event includes a new walk route and an after-party in Veterans Park, according to the release. See fitnh.org.

20th season of Fisher Cats

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will take the field at Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester for their 20th anniversary season on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:35 p.m. The Toronto Blue Jays, for whom the Cats are a Double A affiliate, recently announced in a press release the Fisher Cats 2024 coaching staff: Cesar Martin will manage the team for the fourth consecutive season; Jake McGuiggan will serve as bench coach; Mitch Huckabay returns for a second season to serve as hitting coach; Joel Bonnett will serve as pitching coach; George Carroll and Delta Cleary Jr. will serve as position coaches; Eric Yardley will be bullpen coach; Roelvis Vargas and Dalton Holemo are trainers; Casey Callison and Zach Kollar will be strength and conditioning coaches; Stephanie Xavier is team nutritionist; Geoffrey Soriano serves as team chef; Branden Gonzalez is technology & coaching assistant and Raul Pimentel continues his time in New Hampshire as mental performance coach. Tickets for the upcoming season are on sale at milb.com/new-hampshire including for specialty packages, such as a two-ticket purchase to the Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond game on Friday, June 14, which comes with a Defender of the Diamond cap, and a two-ticket package to the game when the team plays as the New Hampshire Primaries on Friday, Aug. 23, which also includes a special hat.

PILLAR Gallery & Projects in Concord is currently showcasing its third exhibition, “Excavations,” through March 22. The show “presents themes of geological time and forms…. Artists include Jonathan Mess, Julie Hamel, Shino Takeda, Debra Claffey, Cody Tamaian, Anne Kinne, Victoria Elbroch and Al Jaeger,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Sunday, Tuesdays and Fridays 3 to 7 p.m.; see pillargalleryprojects.com.

Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee will hold a County Line Derby snowshoe race and derby party on Saturday, Feb. 24. The event is described as “a mashup of the elegance and big hats of the Kentucky Derby with the chaos and excitement of a snowshoe race, snow or not,” according to a press release. The event starts at 9:30 a.m.; see countylinederby2024.eventbrite.com for tickets.

To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester is holding a Bonsai Bar night on Thursday, Feb. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. Learn about the art of crafting and caring for a bonsai using a Dwarf Jade tree, according to a post on the brewery’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, Feb. 28, is Teen Anime Day at Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) Anime fans in grades 6 through 12 are invited to hang out, watch anime, draw and more, according to nashualibrary.org.

63 for FREE – 02/15/24

This week we bring you 63 for free — that is, 63 things to do or go see or watch that are totally, mostly, somewhat free or at least free-ish.

Also on the cover You know what else is free? Voting in Hippo’s Best of 2024! Vote! Vote now! Vote at Hippopress.com. Tell your friends to vote! Tell your friends to tell their other friends to vote! It’s free, it’s fun, it will make you hungry for ice cream (maybe, I mean, it asks about ice cream and for some of us, just the words “ice cream” have us craving some Green Monster or Death by Chocolate). In summation, vote! See page 21 for details.

And watch the kids put a new spin on the familiar Marvel characters of Loki and Thor in the play Hammered this weekend from the Peacock Players (see page 14).

News & Notes 24/02/15

240215 Featured Content News

Civil Rights focus U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young has announced the appointment of Matthew Vicinanzo as the first dedicated Assistant ...

Work for the future

Older man sitting down smiling at camera

240215 Q&A

A talk with the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year Howard Brodsky, co-founder of CCA Global Partners, has been named Citizen ...

3 & counting for Mahomes

Photo of assorted sports equipment for football, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball, and basketball

240215 News Sports

The Big Story – Super Bowl 58: With a first three quarters that were nothing to write home about SB ...

Quality of Life 24/02/15

240215 News Quality Of Life

Smarties, part 1 New Hampshire has been ranked as the 8th most educated state in America for 2024, according to ...

This Week 24/02/15

240215 News This Week

Thursday, Feb. 15 Catch the 14th Annual New England Winter Blues Festival tonight starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex ...

63 for Free

240215 Cover Stories Featured Content

Completely, totally, mostly free and free-ish fun things to do, see and enjoy Library, more like “free-brary” Libraries are the ...

Brotherhood, family and one big hammer

two actors dressed as Thor and Loki in the play Hammered

240215 Art & Theater Featured Content Visual Arts

Thor & Loki tale turns theatrical The Marvel Comic Universe meets High School Musical, sans big song and dance numbers, ...

The Art Roundup 24/02/15

240215 Art & Theater Visual Arts

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • An Agatha Christie mystery: The Community Players of Concord will ...

Kiddie Pool 24/02/15

240215 Family Fun Outdoors

Family fun for whenever See a show • The Londonderry High School Drama Club will present Mamma Mia! Thursday, Feb ...

Treasure Hunt 24/02/15

2 heart shaped cardboard boxes covered in textured gray paper, one box open

240215 Family Fun Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna, No time better than now to ask about these. They are paper heart boxes marked ‘Japan’ on the ...

On The Job – LeeAnn Fay-Ellis

240215 Q&A

Owner of Smittens LeeAnn Fay-Ellis is the owner of Smittens, a family-run business in Gilford that specializes in crafting mittens ...

The Weekly Dish 24/02/15

240215 Food

News from the local food scene • Unwined open: The wine bar Unwined (1 Nashua St. in Milford; unwinednh.com) was ...

Get a taste of Africa

240215 Featured Content Food

Learn from Mola Foods founder at Nashua North this spring By Eleanor Quarlesfood@hippopress.com LaFortune Djabea, founder of local African food ...

The Brain Cell

cocktail in stemmed glass, sitting on table beside window

240215 Drink Food

About a week ago I found a truly excellent photo online of Walter the Muppet and the Great Gonzo posing ...

Album Reviews 24/02/15

240215 Albums Pop

Becky Hill, Believe Me Now? (Astralwerks Records) As you know, I complain about a lot of things, but to be ...

Good Material, by Dolly Alderton

book cover for Good Material, illustrated with colorful boxes

240215 Books Pop

Whether it’s because the holidays were unbearable or Valentine’s Day is even worse, we’re in the time of year that ...

Lisa Frankenstein (PG-13)

screenshot from movie Lisa Frankenstein with female and male leads sitting on bed in pink bedroom, facing each other for conversation

240215 Featured Content Film Reviews by Amy

A 1980s teen, like, totally grieving for her deceased mother while everybody, even her father, has moved on, finds a ...

The Music Roundup 24/02/15

240215 Music This Week

Local music news & events • Dad tribute: The first song A.J. Croce recorded from his father’s catalog after doing ...

Still standing (up)

240215 Featured Content Nightlife

Kathy Griffin’s ‘My Life on the PTSD List’ hits Portsmouth Every comic has their story about a joke that didn’t ...

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

Get a taste of Africa

Learn from Mola Foods founder at Nashua North this spring

By Eleanor Quarles
food@hippopress.com

LaFortune Djabea, founder of local African food company Mola Foods, is bringing African cooking to New Hampshire. This spring Djabea will be hosting an African cooking course as one of Nashua Adult Education’s enrichment programs. The class will run on Thursday evenings from March 28 to June 6 at Nashua High School North.

The goal of the course is to introduce people to African foods and dive into the history and culture of the cuisine.

“Those who want to learn are welcome to join and learn how to cook authentic African food the simplest way possible,” Djabea said. The class is not only about introducing new dishes, but also about adapting them to be made easily at home.

If you’re still a beginner chef, don’t feel intimidated. When Djabea started learning to cook at 10 years old, she “didn’t have any knife skills or anything like that … you just jump in and start!” she said. The class is open to all abilities. The only thing you need is a willingness to learn, she said.

Growing up in Cameroon, Djabea learned how to cook dishes from all over Africa. She credits this experience to Cameroon’s unique diversity among African countries.

“Cameroonians call themselves ‘the continent,’ as in the African continent, because we have all the other African countries [represented] in Cameroon,” she said. That environment gave her versatility, and she has a passion for sharing that with the community through her business, Mola Foods.

While the specific dishes taught in the class are still to be decided, Djabea shared two of her personal go-tos when introducing people to African cuisine. She likes to make thieboudienne, a Senegalese rice dish with fish and vegetables, of which Cameroon has its own Jollof version.

Another one of her favorites is ndolé, a classic Cameroonian dish made with ndolé (also known as bitter leaf) and meat or shrimp in a peanut sauce, eaten with boiled plantains or fermented cassava. When washed well, the ndolé leaves have a distinct bittersweet taste to them. To easily make the dish in New Hampshire, she often replaces ndolé with spinach, as it’s much easier to get, and peanuts with cashews, to accommodate peanut allergies.

African cuisine tends to be flexible that way. You can make a lot of dishes to be vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, etc. Most diets can be accommodated, Djabea said.

In the class, students will get the chance to practice with everything: meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. They’ll use Mola Food’s spice blends to season dishes authentically without having to hunt down specific spices and ingredients that could be hard to find in stores here.

Mola Foods also hosts Taste of Africa dinners, where diners get a chance to try cuisine that is usually completely new to them. And these are not just food events; they’re cultural experiences with music, dancing and conversation. Djabea finds that some people come into the dinners not understanding African cuisine or having preconceived notions about it, but when they try the food, they love it.

There are 54 countries in Africa, she pointed out, so it’s impossible to get a taste of every country or even every region in one dinner, and every dinner is unique. There are not currently any upcoming Taste of Africa events scheduled, but they will be returning in the future.

It’s Djabea’s first time formally instructing a cooking course, but it’s not her “first rodeo” as an instructor, she said. She taught her kids and her best friend how to cook African cuisine, and before Mola Foods, she was a medical coding instructor for several years.

“It’s heartwarming to be able to go back and be an instructor again, this time just doing something that I love to do. I am excited to share the gift of cooking that my grandmother taught me when I was younger with the rest of the community that wants to join me,” she said.

African Cooking class
When: Thursdays, March 28 through June 6, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way, Nashua
Cost: $105 for Nashua residents, $130 for non-residents, plus $100 fee for lab/food
Register: www.nashua.edu/domain/213

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 24/02/15

News from the local food scene

• Unwined open: The wine bar Unwined (1 Nashua St. in Milford; unwinednh.com) was slated to hold its grand opening on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and will be opening for reservations only through February, according to a post on its Facebook page, where you can also get a look at its menu. Offerings include bar snacks (such as curry toasted chickpeas and hand-cut fries with feta cheese, lemon zest and garlic oil served with a house aioli), salads, tapas (such as cheesy arancini, creamy bacon Brussels sprouts and fried calamari, as well as a mezze platter and cheese board), entrees and desserts.

• Goings on at WineNot: On Thursday, Feb. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m., WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com) will hold a “Tasting of Big and Bold Winter Wines.” Admission costs $25. The evening will feature 15 wines paired with cheeses and a light appetizer, according to the event website.

• Tasty vacation camp: The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in Derry; culinary-playground.com, 339-1664) has some vacation week classes for kids. On Tuesday, Feb. 27, there’s an adult and child (age 5+) “Homemade pizza and cupcake decorating” class at 3 p.m. ($45 for an adult/child team). On Wednesday, Feb. 28, there’s a “Sushi for T(w)eens” class at 3 p.m.; an adult/child team will make veggie and California rolls for $55. On Thursday, Feb. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. there’s a “Make-A-Meal” class (featuring baked chicken chimichanga, Mexican rice and Tres Leches Cake) for $58 for an adult/kid pair (8+).

On The Job – LeeAnn Fay-Ellis

Owner of Smittens

LeeAnn Fay-Ellis is the owner of Smittens, a family-run business in Gilford that specializes in crafting mittens from upcycled and repurposed sweaters.

Explain your job and what it entails.

As a small business, so much of the job is staying organized. Scheduling events, accounting, ordering enough fleece for the liners, inventorying the stores we sell in and being sure we have enough product for each event. … Searching and thrifting for good sweaters can be fun, especially when I get to shop with my daughter. My husband does all of the cutting and matching of patterns and colors before sending them to me to be sewn. This starts our assembly line process.

How long have you had this job?

Smittens was started in 2011.

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

In 2011 I saw a vendor selling sweater mittens at a craft fair that our 10-year-old daughter was selling at. She did a trade with her for a pair of sweater mittens for me. When we got home and I tried them on again I realized they didn’t fit well. I commented to my husband, David, that they felt more like an oven mitt and not very comfortable. He replied, ‘Why don’t you make your own?’ So we did. We went to our local thrift store to stock up on sweaters, found a pattern online, which I modified to tailor our mittens to fit better.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I have been a crafter for as long as I can remember. Both my mother and grandmother sewed and taught me the basics. I also took quilting classes. But as far as the modification of the sweater mittens, it was trial and error to get them to fit properly.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

The majority of our work is done at home … so I am fortunate to wear sweatpants or yoga pants and be as comfortable as possible. [For] during the selling season … we had fleece vests made with our names by another local artisan (Forever Memories in the Mall of New Hampshire.)

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

Finding good wool sweaters. … Another challenge is making enough to supply for the multiple stores we are in and events we do.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

When we first started, we would only make two or three pairs at a time. We now focus on making 50 at a time and have more of an assembly line process.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

We, like many artisans, create year-round and have a very limited selling time, especially with mittens. The unknown expenses can be great and what we sell each pair for is not what we actually make.

Five favorites
Favorite book: No More Excuses by Sam Silverstein and Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself! – Crush the Excuses by Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue
Favorite movie: August Rush
Favorite music: My daughter’s Spotify account! Music from the ’70s to today.
Favorite food: Blackened Mahi Mahi
Favorite thing about NH: I love the beauty of the seasons. I was fortunate to grow up in the Lakes Region with the lakes and mountains as our backyard.

Featured photo: LeeAnn Fay-Ellis. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/02/15

Family fun for whenever

See a show

• The Londonderry High School Drama Club will present Mamma Mia! Thursday, Feb. 15, through Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. daily plus 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Derry Opera House (26 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets to this show, which they rate as PG-13, cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. See lancerdramaclub.org.

• The young performers (students in grades 2 through 12) of the Palace Youth Theatre will present Tuck Everlasting, a musical based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for ages 6 to 12.

Museum fun

• The American Independence Museum (independencemuseum.org) will hold open play at the Folsom Tavern (164 Water St. in Exeter) on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. through April, according to a press release. The Foy Family Library, where the open play takes place, features a coloring station, an 18th-century play kitchen, dress-up clothes and a reading nook, according to a press release. Admission to open play costs $5 per family.

Family fun at the theater

• For this month’s Little Lunch Date at area Chunky’s Cinema Pubs (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) the film is Gnomeo & Juliet (G, 2011), which will screen at all three area Chunky’s on Friday, Feb. 16, at 3:45 p.m. Save a seat by purchasing $5 per person food vouchers online.

• At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, the Manchester Chunky’s (chunkys.com) will host family-friendly Theater Candy Bingo. Reserve a seat for $10, which includes a $5 food voucher and a box of movie theater candy that goes in the pot, according to the website. Each guest gets one bingo card and the goal is to play about eight rounds, the website said.

• And save the date for all-ages trivia night at the Manchester Chunky’s on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m., when the theme is Shrek. Save your seats for a team of up to eight people for a $5 food voucher.

The Art Roundup 24/02/15

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

• An Agatha Christie mystery: The Community Players of Concord will present Witness for the Prosecution, the 1953 play by Agatha Christie about a man accused of murdering a rich widow, this weekend at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). The play “covers a sensational murder trial both in the courtroom of London’s ‘Old Bailey’ and behind the scenes in the barrister’s chambers as the action unfolds,” according to a press release. Witness for the Prosecution runs Friday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 65+ or 17 and under. See communityplayersofconcord.org for tickets and a cast list.

• Celtic dance: The Aaron Tolson Dance Institute will hold a Celtic Intensive on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and Wednesday, Feb. 21, with four separate classes each afternoon starting at 4 p.m. at the Dana Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Saint Anselm College in Manchester (tickets.anselm.edu). On Feb. 20 the classes will be intro to Cape Breton (4 p.m.), intro to Irish soft shoe (5 p.m.), intro to hard shoe (6 p.m.) and intro to Ceili dancing (7 p.m.), according to tickets.anselm.edu. Classes on Feb. 21 will be the intermediate versions of all those classes. A one-class pass costs $30, a four-class pass costs $100; see the website for details.

A Continuation of Love
NSquared Dance Company will present A Continuation of Love, a dance performance and fundraiser featuring food, drinks, raffles, a silent auction and of course dance, on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The event is presented by the New Hampshire Dance Collaborative, and many of the professional dancers from NSquared Dance Company are originally from New Hampshire, according to a press release. Tickets cost $50. To learn more about NSquared, see nsquareddance.org; see nhdancecollective.org for more on their organization.

• Open mic: An open mic for writing of all kinds is held on the third Wednesday of each month at Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) from 5 to 7 p.m. On Wednesday, Feb. 21, poet and artist Stephan Anstey will provide the featured reading, according to a press release. The event is free.

• Art show: The Prospect Hill Gallery Winter Art Show at Prospect Hill Antiques (31 River Road in Sunapee; prospecthillantiques.net) will open Saturday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will feature artists from the Center for the Arts as well as other artists, such as Ron Brown, according to a Center for the Arts press release. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

• Youth auditions: The Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for its April production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The auditions are performers in grades 2 through 12 with rehearsals generally Thursdays through Saturdays, according to an email from the Palace Youth Theatre. The auditions will take place Thursday Feb. 29, with sessions at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester). After signing up for the auditions, performers will receive a list of monologues to choose from to perform at the audition, the email said. Contact meganalves@palacetheatre.org with performer’s name, age and preferred audition time, the email said.

On the Exhale
Theatre Kapow (tkapow.com) presents On the Exhale, a full-length drama that “offers a complex examination of America’s gun violence crisis,” at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m., according to a press release. Carey Cahoon, Kapow co-founder and managing director, will play the sole character in the show. Tickets to the show cost $33.75 ($26.75 for seniors & students). The Sunday, Feb. 18, show will feature ASL Interpretation as well as a post-show conversation about the impact of gun violence on New Hampshire, according to Theatre Kapow’s website. The play will also run Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 3, at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith. See tkapow.com for tickets to either show.

This Week 24/02/15

Thursday, Feb. 15

Catch the 14th Annual New England Winter Blues Festival tonight starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) presenting a Gulf Coast Records Revue with Popa Chubby, Albert Castiglia, Monster Mike Welch and Paul Size with The Wicked Lo-Down. Tickets cost $35. Michael Witthaus talked to festival organizer Nick David for a story in last week’s issue of the Hippo (see hippopress.com and check out page 36 in the e-edition of the Feb. 8 issue).

Friday, Feb. 16

Attention Oscar completists and film fans in general. The Oscar Nominated Short Films come to Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org) starting today. The line-up this weekend: The five short films nominated in the animated category (an 80-minute production) will screen at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, as well as at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18. The live action shorts (two hours and 20 minutes) will screen Friday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 5:30 p.m. The documentary shorts will screen Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2:30 p.m. Find more screenings in the film listings on page 30.

Friday, Feb. 16

Regular season basketball schedules are wrapping up. The men’s team of the Rivier Raiders plays Fisher College tonight at 6 p.m. at Muldoon Fitness Center (440 Main St. in Nashua). See rivierathletics.com.

The SNHU Penmen basketball teams each have three more regular season home games on the schedule: Pace University on Saturday, Feb. 17, (women at 1:30 p.m.; men at 3:30 p.m.); Assumption University on Saturday, Feb. 24, (women at 1:30 p.m.; men at 3:30 p.m.) and the College of Saint Rose on Tuesday, Feb. 27, (women at 5:30 p.m.; men at 7:30 p.m.). The games take place at Stan Spiro Field House (at the Southern New Hampshire University campus, 2500 River Road in Manchester); regular season games are free to attend.

Saint Anselm Hawks basketball teams play their final regular season home games on Wednesday, Feb. 21, against the University of New Haven. Men play at 7:30 p.m., women play at 5:30 p.m. at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium (73 College Road on Saint Anselm College campus in Manchester). Tickets to either game cost $10 (kids 5 and under get in free to regular season games) and are available for purchase starting one hour ahead of game time at the Gymnasium ticket booth. See saintanselmhawks.com.

Saturday, Feb. 17

If last weekend’s end of Dancing Queens’ run at the Palace Theatre left you wanting more ABBA, head to Gimme Gimme Disco tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com). This dance party — disco attire encouraged — will feature a DJ playing the hits of ABBA, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Cher, according to the website. Tickets cost $19 to $24.

Save the Date! Sunday, March 3
See the Red Hot Chilli Pipers — yes, “Pipers” — on Sunday, March 3, at 4 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). The band bills itself as “bagrock” — a fusion of traditional Scottish music, with bagpipes, and rock and pop anthems, according to the Cap Center. Tickets start at $33.75.

Quality of Life 24/02/15

Smarties, part 1

New Hampshire has been ranked as the 8th most educated state in America for 2024, according to a study released by the personal finance website WalletHub. The study evaluated all 50 states based on 18 metrics across educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races. New Hampshire excelled in several key areas, ranking 4th for the percentage of high school diploma holders, 10th for associate’s degree holders or college-experienced adults, and 8th for bachelor’s degree holders. The state also stood out for having the smallest gender gap in educational attainment, taking first place.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Neighboring Massachusetts, home to prestigious institutions like MIT and Harvard, tops the list as the most educated state in the U.S., boasting the highest percentages of adults with bachelor’s and advanced degrees and leading the nation in high school math and reading scores.

Smarties, part 2

Spark Academy, situated on Manchester Community College’s campus, recently hosted Dean Kamen, Gov. Sununu and other dignitaries to celebrate the creation of 200 Experiential Robotics Platform (XRP) robots by the academy’s student-led 3D print farm. According to a press release, this initiative aims to supply low-cost robotics kits to New Hampshire classrooms, fostering skills in problem-solving, teamwork and engineering among students. Spark Academy, which integrates robotics into its curriculum, enabled students to gain hands-on manufacturing experience through this project. The involvement began when fourth-year students participated in a capstone project testing the XRP prototype, leading to the production of kits for global distribution at the FIRST Global Conference in Geneva. The Academy plans to continue producing XRP kits, with future projects potentially originating from student ideas.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Spark Academy is currently open for 2024-25 admissions, with an info night for prospective families scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22. For more details, visit sparkacademynh.org.

The gas station roller coaster

In New Hampshire the average price of gasoline has increased by 1.9 cents per gallon over the past week, reaching $3.08/g, according to GasBuddy’s analysis of 875 stations. This marks a 4.1-cent rise from last month and a 23.0-cent decrease compared to the previous year. Meanwhile the national average for diesel has climbed 6.9 cents, now at $3.99 per gallon. GasBuddy’s survey identified the price range in New Hampshire from the cheapest station at $2.76/g to the most expensive at $3.89/g. Nationally, the average gasoline price has gone up by 5.2 cents, averaging $3.17/g, which is 9.6 cents higher than last month but 20.0 cents lower than last year, based on data from more than 150,000 gas stations.

QOL score: -1

Comment: “We’ve seen the national average price of gasoline inching higher now for three straight weeks, but I’m afraid the worst is yet to come. With several major refinery issues persisting across various regions, the eventual transition to summer gasoline is likely to continue to put upward pressure on prices, with larger weekly increases likely coming in March and April,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, commented in the price update.

QOL score: 55

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 56

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Author: The Hippo Press

Very short movies

News & Notes 24/02/22

63 for FREE – 02/15/24

Get a taste of Africa

The Weekly Dish 24/02/15

On The Job – LeeAnn Fay-Ellis

Kiddie Pool 24/02/15

The Art Roundup 24/02/15

This Week 24/02/15

Quality of Life 24/02/15

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!