Author: The Hippo Press

Trees for schools

The New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands is accepting applications for the Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program, which is part of the division’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, according to a press release. The program selects schools to receive two or three trees with staff from the Urban Forestry Center working with teachers, principals and students to plan the planting and maintenance process, the release said. “New Hampshire is so well-known for its forests and it’s really encouraging to see how excited kids get when their school is involved in the program,” A.J. Dupere, urban forester at the Division of Forests and Lands, said in the press release. “They ask a million great questions about ‘their trees.’” To receive the one-page application form, contact Liz McKinley, community forester, at elizabeth.c.mckinley@dncr.nh.gov and submit the application by April 3. See nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov.

Help Hooksett

Hooksett service organizations and the town will hold a Beautify Hooksett Day on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Scheduled activities include roadside trash pick-up, planting flowers and other projects, followed by a gathering at Lambert Park, according to a flyer in the Hooksett Chamber of Commerce newsletter. Sign up by April 11 at bit.ly/3Kjc0ui and email hooksettkiwanis@gmail.com with questions.

Poetry

The Derry Public Library will hold its 9th Annual MacGregor Poetry Contest March 9 through April 11, with categories for poets ages 15 through adult and ages 14 and under, according to a library flyer. Prizes are offered in each category and poets can enter up to two poems, no more than two pages each, the flyer said. See derrypl.org.

The Dover Public Library is holding a poetry contest for Seacoast residents as young as 5 years old through adults. The deadline for entry is April 15; see dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/library.

Authors

Save the date for the Derry Author Fest on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derry Public Library. This year the theme is “Pathways to Publication” and the fest will feature panels and a keynote speaker as well as a book sale, according to derryauthorfest.wordpress.com, where you can register for the event.

Rochester will also host an authors event: The Rochester Writers Night will hold its third annual Rochester Area Authors Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the covered pavilion at Hanson Pines Park, 68 Dominicus Way in Rochester, featuring keynote speaker J.R. Rainville, author of the Ungifted fantasy series, according to a press release. See facebook.com/rochesterNHwriters.

The Concord Arts Market will hold a HeARTwork market event on Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carriage House at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord. The day will also feature faculty demos, kid-friendly interactive art activities and more, according to kimballjenkins.com/events.

“Spray: Jules Olitski in the 1960s” will open at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester on Saturday, March 7 (with an opening reception on Thursday, March 5, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for members and “not-yet-members” paying $25; register on the website). The exhibit “invites you to rediscover a modern master who explored the possibilities of color with gumption, vision, and a passion for experimentation,” according to currier.org.

The Franco-American Centre will hold a Cabane à Sucre celebration on Saturday, March 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House in Bedford, according to the Centre’s newsletter. The evening will feature a “cabane a sucre-style dinner,” sweet maple treats and contra dancing with The Reel McCoys, the newsletter said. Purchase tickets by Thursday, March 12, at facnh.com.

The New Hampshire Outdoor Expo takes place Friday, March 6, from 1 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hampshire Dome in Milford. The expo will feature vendors related to fishing, hunting, camping, kayaking and boating as well as appearances by experts, a boat display, an archery range, a trout pond, a gaga pit for kids and more, according to nhoutdoorexpo.com, where you can purchase tickets and find information about parking.

ICE facility

The Department of Homeland Security “will not move forward with a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Merrimack,” according to a press release from Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office on Feb. 24. “I thank [DHS Secretary Kristi] Noem for hearing the concerns of the Town of Merrimack and for the continued cooperation between DHS and New Hampshire law enforcement to secure our northern border, keep dangerous criminals off our streets, and ensure our communities are safe,” Ayotte said in the statement.

New library

The Daland Memorial Library in Mount Vernon is in its new home at 8 Lilac Lane in Mont Vernon after a grand opening on Feb. 22, according to the library’s Facebook page. The new library will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 1 p.m., according to a post. The new library replaces the 1909-built original library and is a 7,600-square-foot facility, according to a press release from Mont Vernon Library Charitable Foundation. See dalandlibrary.com.

Memorial

Swim With a Mission, “a New Hampshire-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans through fundraising, community engagement, and grants to local veteran service organizations,” has awarded a $15,000 matching grant to support the “Gulf Wars and War on Terror Memorial being developed by the Manchester Veterans Council. This permanent memorial will honor the service members, civilians, and family members from New Hampshire who were impacted by the conflicts spanning from 1990 to 2021,” according to a SWAM press release. “To help complete this important tribute, SWAM is partnering with the Manchester Veterans Council to raise the remaining $30,000 needed for the project. Through SWAM’s matching grant, every dollar donated will be doubled, up to $15,000,” the release said. The memorial is slated for a Memorial Day 2026 dedication in Veterans Park in Manchester, according to SWAM. See the Manchester Veterans Council’s Facebook page for more information on recent donations and images of the planned memorial.

Parenting help

The Upper Room Family Resource Center, based in Derry, will offer a virtual class, “Managing Emotions in Children (ages 3-12),” on Wednesday, March 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to a press release. The free class “will help parents learn new strategies to understand and handle a child’s strong feelings such as fear, anger, sadness, disappointment and anxiety,” the release said. To sign up, call 437-8477, ext. 126, the release said, and see urteachers.org for more on the organization.

Barn assistance

April 15 is the deadline to apply for Historic Barn Assessment Grants, meant to help preserve privately owned historic New Hampshire barns, according to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. The program offers $400 or $250 grants (coupled with some matching funds from the property owner) to hire a barn consultant to “inspect the barn, determine its age and key construction features, [and] assess what’s required to stabilize, repair, and reuse the structure. Grant recipients will receive a written report; that can be used as a valuable planning tool that identifies problems, proposes specific preservation strategies, and offers cost estimates for the needed repairs,” according to nhpreservation.org, where you can find a list of participating towns and details on how to apply.

Shamrock Shuffle

The Northwestern Mutual Shamrock Shuffle, rescheduled after Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled for the year, will now take place on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. with Lil’ Leprechaun Runs for kids starting at 10:30 a.m. The 2-mile run/walk on Canal Street will begin and end at Harpoon Brewery and the first 1,000 registrants will receive kilts, according to millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.

Night out for a cause

The Pinnacle Foundation, an organization “formed to positively impact chronic homelessness, build a bridge to homeownership through financial literacy and education, and support our communities’ veterans’ immediate needs in the greater Manchester community,” according to pinnaclefoundationnh.org, will hold its winter fundraiser on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester. The event will feature live music by the Chad LaMarsh Band, a silent auction, keynote speeches and more. See pinnaclefoundationnh.org/2026-winter-fundraiser for tickets.

Jazz for a cause

Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, will hold its annual Jazz Night Fundraiser on Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m., with a pre-show reception starting at 5:30 p.m., according to a post on the school’s Facebook page. The evening will feature the James Fernando Trio and proceeds will benefit the school’s Financial Aid Fund. Seats cost $80 each or $300 for a table of four, the post said. Call 228-1196 or go to ccmusicschool.org to order tickets.

“Through the Trees,” an exhibition featuring the works of Amira Nguyen-Hasoon, Kate Knox, and Rebecca Desrochers, is on display through March 1 at See Saw Art, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester. The gallery will be open Friday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., according to seesaw.gallery.

Cue Zero Theatre will hold auditions for adults for its June production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company on Sunday, March 15, with callbacks on Thursday, March 19, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire, 19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem, according to a press release. See cztheatre.com for character details and audition information.

The Wilton Actor Guild will present Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery, a Ken Ludwig-penned sequel to Baskerville described as fast-paced and funny, on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 7, at 2 p.m. at the Golden Brook School Auditorium, 112B Lowell Road in Windham, according to a press release. See windhamactorsguild.com for tickets.

You have until Sunday, March 1, to submit your 60-second film to the Tiny Film Festival at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua. See nashualibrary.org/tinyfilmfestival for the rules. The films will be screened at the library on Friday, March 20, at 6 p.m.