The Hippo Press – Page 217

This Week 21/12/02

Big Events December 2, 2021 and beyond

Friday, Dec. 3

Need a little naughty mixed into your holiday celebrations? Join Fright Kingdom (12 Simon St., Nashua) for its Krampus-themed holiday event, “The Fright Before Christmas,” tonight through Sunday, Dec. 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. each night, featuring a costume contest, scary winter wonderland and more. Tickets are $29 and must be purchased in advance. Visit frightkingdom.com or call 809-1173.

Saturday, Dec. 4

There are several art gallery shopportunities today (find more details on these and other holiday events in Hippo’s Holiday Guide, starting on page 10 of the Nov. 25 issue; the e-edition is available at hippopress.com).

Studioverne Fine Art Fused Glass and Creative Framing Solutions (81 and 83R Hanover St., Manchester; facebook.com/verneorlosk) host a Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Picker Collaborative Artists (3 Pine St., Nashua) host their Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See pickerartists.com.

The Concord Arts Market hosts a Mini Holiday Arts Market at the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord) from noon to 3 p.m. See concordartsmarket.net.

Art Gallery 46, at Remember This Antiques and Collectibles (46 Route 101A, Amherst) has its Holiday Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; see facebook.com/ artgallery46.

Saturday, Dec. 4

More holiday fairs today!

Arlington Street United Methodist Church (63 Arlington St., Nashua; asumc.org, 882-4663) holds its Holly Town Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring vendors with handmade items, baked goods, to-go lunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and more.

The GFWC Hudson Women’s Club hosts its fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hudson High School; in addition to crafts, the event features gift baskets, food, a penny raffle and more. See facebook.com/GFWCHWC.

The Amherst Lions Club holds its Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Amherst Middle School (14 Cross Road). See e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh.

Christmas in Strafford, an event featuring 17 stops and pieces from more than 50 artists and craftspeople, runs today; see the map at christmasinstrafford.com.

A Holiday Craft Fair at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive) runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; see nhfestivals.org.

Saturday, Dec. 4

Manchester’s Christmas parade returns! The Manchester Holiday Parade will take place today at 4 p.m. on Elm Street. The event follows the BASC Santa Claus Shuffle, a 3-mile road race presented by Millennium Running. The main race — which features samples of “Santa’s four major food groups,” milk & cookies, maple, chocolate and candy — starts at 3 p.m. A 100-yard Lil Elf run starts at 2:30 p.m. Register by Friday, Dec. 3, at millenniumrunning.com/santa.

Find more information on runs in December, including the Jingle Bell Run scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 5, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester in the Nov. 11 issue of the Hippo, where Meghan Siegler looks at charitable runs in a story that starts on page 10.

Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 11

Save the date for delicious cookies: on Saturday, Dec. 11, you can find two cookie tours in New Hampshire. The Currier & Ives Cookie Tour will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature nearly a dozen businesses in the Monadnock region. Tickets cost $15 per person; see currierandivescookietour.com. On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12, the Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at participating inns in the White Mountains region. Tickets cost $35; see countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com.

Featured photo: The BASC Santa Claus Shuffle. Photo courtesy of Millennium Running.

Quality of Life 21/12/02

Holly jolly trolley tours

The Queen City is encouraging residents to decorate their homes with its second annual Manchester Holiday Lights Contest! Register online at manchesternh.gov by 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and your lights display will be included in the public Manchester Holiday Lights Map, according to a press release. The public will have a chance to vote for their favorites, and prizes will be awarded to the top vote-getting displays.

Score: +1

Comment: Manchester residents are really getting into the holiday spirit: Within a day of the Manchester Transit Authority announcing that it is hosting free Holiday Lights Trolley Tours for families on its Molly Trolley for two weekends in December, all the tickets were scooped up.

Winter weather already causing woes on the road

On Nov. 26 and Nov. 27, when most of the state got anywhere from a dusting to several inches of snow, multiple crashes and spin-outs were reported, according to a report from WMUR. State police were called to about 50 accidents across the state, the report said, prompting troopers to remind drivers to stay home if possible during winter storms, and to drive safely if you must go out. “You’re not going to get to where you’re going as fast as you would normally in the summer months and you’re going to go slower and you need to be prepared for that, so give yourself enough time,” State Police Staff Sgt. Daniel Baldassarre told WMUR.

Score: -2

Comment: According to the report, police also want to remind people about Jessica’s Law, which requires drivers to remove snow and ice from their roofs before driving or risk being fined anywhere from $250 to $1,000.

Easy access to at-home Covid tests

When QOL went to sayyescovidhometest.org to order free at-home Covid testing kits on the day the state announced they were available, it was so easy that it was almost unbelievable. The process took maybe a minute — far less time and hassle than ordering anything online on Cyber Monday. QOL’s order was confirmed, with a message saying the tests would arrive in about a week from Amazon. Of course, it is possible that something could go wrong and the tests might not arrive on time or at all — but for now, QOL is relieved that it was so simple.

Score: 0 (+1 for QOL, -1 for anyone who didn’t have the same experience)

Comment: Two of QOL’s coworkers tried to order the tests with mixed results; one got them just as easily as QOL, and one tried about 8 hours later and the tests were gone. Here’s hoping they’re restocked and available again soon.

High marks for low health insurance premiums

New Hampshire will have the country’s 2nd-lowest health insurance premiums in 2022, and those premiums will be less than they were in 2021, according to a new analysis from valuepenguin.com by Lending Tree. The report said that the average cost of an ACA health insurance plan in the Granite State in 2022 will be $4,320 a year, which is 33.41 percent below the national average and 1.37 percent less than last year.

Score: +1

Comment: Nationally, health insurance premiums will increase an average of 0.67 percent in 2022, according to the report.

QOL score: 77

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 77

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

News & Notes 21/12/02

Covid-19 update	As of Nov 19	As of Nov 29
Total cases statewide	150,813	160,287
Total current infections statewide	7,604	7,078
Total deaths statewide	1,662	1,694
New cases	3,979 (Nov. 16 to Nov. 19)	9,474 (Nov. 20 to Nov. 29)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,368	2,124
Current infections: Merrimack County	846	751
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,386	1,251

Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Nov. 23, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire averaged nearly 1,000 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week. “We’re currently experiencing the highest level of Covid-19 in our communities that we’ve seen at any point during this pandemic,” he said.

Later during the press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu announced a new executive order to address hospital capacity across the state due to record numbers of Covid cases. The order directs state health officials to help hospitals set up “internal surge centers” within the campuses of individual hospitals, similar to those that were in school gymnasiums and fieldhouses last year. “We’re adding flexibilities to increase bed capacities at rehabilitation facilities, [and] we’re asking the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification and other boards that license our health care professionals to streamline licensing and to increase eligibility to assist the health care system in the coming months,” Sununu said. As of Nov. 29 there were 377 active hospitalizations statewide attributed to Covid, a record high since the start of the pandemic.

Sununu also announced a new “booster blitz” initiative to encourage people to get their booster shots before the holidays. On Dec. 11 the state will host more than 20 pop-up community sites where booster doses will be administered. Appointments can be booked online through the state Department of Health and Human Services website. Booster shots can also be scheduled at participating local pharmacies or doctor’s offices — go to vaccines.nh.gov to make an appointment and check availability.

As of Nov. 29, Granite Staters are now able to order free at-home rapid Covid-19 tests through DHHS’s website. About 100,000 free PCR tests are also going to be available to schools, as well as federally qualified health centers, homeless shelters and other locations throughout the state’s Public Health Networks.

Mandate on hold

The mandate issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requiring that workers at health care facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid benefits be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will not be enforced for the time being, Gov. Chris Sununu and Attorney General John Formella announced on Nov. 29. New Hampshire, along with nine other states, challenged the mandate on Nov. 10, requesting a preliminary injunction. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri has granted the injunction so that the mandate is not enforceable in the 10 plaintiff states, pending a trial or an order of the Court.

Winter parking

The odd/even overnight winter parking ban is in effect in Manchester now through April 15, the city’s Department of Public Works announced. Between 1 and 6 a.m. all motor vehicles must be parked on the odd-numbered side of a street during odd-numbered calendar months, and on the even-numbered side of the street during even-numbered calendar months. On streets on which parking is only typically available on one side, drivers may continue to park on that side. Overnight parking on the circular portions of dead-end cul-de-sacs is not permitted and there is no parking on any city streets between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. while a Snow Emergency is in effect. Snow Emergencies are indicated by flashing beacons at traffic intersections throughout the city. Residents and visitors may also sign up to receive Snow Emergency alerts via text or email at manchesternh.gov/snow, or call the Department of Public Works for updates at 624-6444. Drivers can park for free during set hours during a Snow Emergency at Victory Parking Garage, Pearl Street Parking Lot and behind West Side Arena.

Warming station

Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, in partnership with 1269 Cafe, is offering an overnight warming station at 1269 Cafe on Union Street serving people experiencing homelessness. Every night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., now through March 31, the station will be staffed, providing warmth and coffee to those in need of its services. “Hope and 1269 Cafe want people to stay alive and be healthy this winter,” Keith Howard, Executive Director for Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, said in a press release. The two nonprofits are asking for the community’s support in raising $65,000 to fund the warming station. More than $5,000 had been raised as of Nov. 26, according to the release.

A French teacher at Pembroke Academy is the 2022 Janis Hennessey World Language Teacher of Excellence for New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers’ Board of Directors recently announced that Adriana Cauley won the honor as “an excellent, creative and innovative World Language teacher … [and] a leader of World Languages within her school and community,” according to a press release.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to come to Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 8, to speak at a New Hampshire State Senate Republicans fundraiser. According to a report from WMUR, Senate President Chuck Morse confirmed Pence as the headliner for the event. Pence is being considered a possible presidential candidate in 2024, according to the report.

The daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard of Derry is going to space. On Dec. 9, Laura Shepard Churchley is scheduled to join five other passengers aboard a Blue Origin flight on a spacecraft named New Shepard after her father, according to a report from WMUR. One of the other passengers is Good Morning America anchor and former NFL player Michael Strahan, the report said, and the flight is expected to last 10 minutes — five minutes less than the 1961 Mercury flight that Alan Shepard was on.

So Much Holiday Fun – 11/25/21

From the eve of Thanksgiving through the end of the year, there are tons of activities and events that will get you in the holiday spirit. Check out this year’s guide to all the family fun, live performances, foodie events and more.

Also on the cover, try two takes on holiday cocktails, p. 42. Check out some of the live shows happening in Music This Week, starting on p. 52. And enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers with a side of puzzles, starting on p. 59.

Support your local merchants

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News & Notes 21/11/25

Covid-19 update As of Nov 15 As of Nov 19Total cases statewide 146,834 150,813Total current infections statewide 6,295 7,604Total deaths ...

Knowledge is power

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Nobody asked me, but…

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Quality of Life 21/11/25

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This Week 21/11/25

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Downtown holiday parades, light displays and more From downtown parades to spectacular multi-day light displays, here’s a list of festive ...

So Much Holiday Fun: O Christmas tree

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Town tree lightings and festivals of trees for your holiday Cities and towns all across the Granite State are marking ...

So Much Holiday Fun: Festive adventures

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So Much Holiday Fun: Seasonal Favorites

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So Much Holiday Fun: Sounds of the Season

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Classical holidays Pops, carols and symphonies in tune Experience the sounds of the season through classical music with these performances ...

So Much Holiday Fun: Season’s eatings

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So Much Holiday Fun: Holiday art for all

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So Much Holiday Fun: Big screen holiday

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Photos from film

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The Art Roundup 21/11/25

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Get roasting

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Kiddie Pool 21/11/25

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Treasure Hunt 21/11/25

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On The Job – Jeff Paquin

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The Weekly Dish 21/11/25

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Tastes of Trinidad

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Healthy pumpkin oatmeal

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Album Reviews 21/11/25

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Healthy pumpkin oatmeal

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! More than likely this weekend is filled with food, whether you’re surrounded by family and friends or are keeping it more intimate. Among all that food, you might be seeking some respite. This oatmeal recipe is here to save the day, or at least get your morning off to a healthier start.

Not only is this recipe healthy, it is also incredibly easy to make. You combine all of the ingredients in the evening, refrigerate overnight, and then have a small amount of baking time in the morning. At that point you are rewarded with a piping hot breakfast with a heaping serving of pumpkin to start your day.

If you have company for the long weekend, this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled as needed. Plus, it is made with pureed pumpkin, and how much more fall-like could a dish be? Although it’s simple to make, it definitely gives the appearance of a much fancier breakfast dish.

Ingredient notes: Make sure you buy 100-percent pure pumpkin puree. You do not want pumpkin pie filling, which will be much sweeter. You also want to use old-fashioned or rolled oats. Instant oats will lose a lot of texture and become soggy. Finally, I recommend using almond milk, as it is my go-to milk. However, skim milk, soy milk, and coconut milk all could work and keep this a healthy dish.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Healthy pumpkin oatmeal
Serves 2

1½ cups canned pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin)
½ cup old-fashioned oats
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup unsweetened almond milk*

Spray a small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine pumpkin, oats, egg whites, sugar and cinnamon in the prepared dish, and stir well.
Cover with foil, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake oatmeal mixture, covered with foil, for 20 minutes and uncovered for another 10 minutes.
To serve: Scoop half of the pumpkin mixture into a cereal bowl.
Top each serving with 1/4 cup almond milk.
Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and sugar, if desired.

Photo: Healthy pumpkin oatmeal. Photo courtesy of Michele Pesula Kuegler.

This Week 21/11/25

Big Events November 25, 2021 and beyond

Thursday, Nov. 25

Turkey day! But first, turkey trot. In the Nov. 11 issue of the Hippo (you can find the e-edition at hippopress.com), Meghan Siegler looked at charitable races, such as the many turkey trots scheduled for today. Find info on races today in Bow, Manchester, Derry, Hampstead, Merrimack, Windham and Exeter, among many other towns, in the story, which starts on page 10. Feeling ambitious? The Amherst Junior Women’s Club is also hosting the Trot Off Your Turkey 5K tomorrow (Nov. 26) and Bishop Brady High School in Concord is hosting its Galloping Gobbler 4-Miler on Saturday, Nov. 27.

Thursday, Nov. 25

After your turkey dinner, head for a ride to see the lights: The New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s annual Gift of Lights opens today and runs through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in Loudon (running daily, Sundays through Thursdays from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 4:30 to 10 p.m.). The show features 2.5 miles featuring 3.5 million lights with a variety of arches and attractions, according to nhms.com. Tickets cost $30 to $35 per car load ($60 per limo or bus). Upcoming theme nights are Dress Your Pet (Monday, Nov. 29), Crazy PJ Night (Tuesday, Nov. 30) and Crazy Sweater Night (Wednesday, Dec. 1).

Friday, Nov. 26

The Craftworkers’ Guild opens its doors for its Holiday Craft Shop at the Kendall House (behind the Bedford Library, 3A Meetinghouse Road in Bedford) today through Dec. 22. The show is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and online shopping is available at thecraftworkersguild.org.

Friday, Nov. 26

The Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; shakers.org, 783-9511) will hold a Holiday Open House today through Sunday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free hot chocolate and cider at the museum store and Shaker Stories Tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

The Manchester Holiday Event, put on by New England Premier Events, runs today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton Manchester Downtown featuring demonstrations, shopping, giveaways, swag bags and more, with proceeds to help the New Hampshire Breast Cancer Coalition, according to myneevent.com/upcoming-events. Tickets cost $5.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Enjoy the sounds of Neighbor at Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20 general admission (plus fees).

Sunday, Nov. 28

Symphony NH presents Holiday Brass at 3 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Dr., Manchester; anselm.edu, 641-7000). Tickets $32 to $45.

Save the Date! Through Feb. 26, 2022

Get more light show at LaBelle Lights at the LaBelle Winery Derry location (14 Route 111), which opened last week and will run through Feb. 26, 2022. The light display is set up on the LaBelle Links golf course along a paved walking path with coordinated music and 15 light features that will be changed periodically throughout the run of the event, according to a press release. Tickets cost $15 and will be available for purchase onsite or in advance at the website, where you can find days and hours of operation (which are primarily Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 4:30 to 9 p.m. with some additional days throughout the run). The LaBelle Links will also have a few special events and some theme weeks. See labellewinery.com.

Featured photo: 2020 Thanksgiving 5K. Courtesy photo.

Author: The Hippo Press

This Week 21/12/02

Big Events December 2, 2021 and beyond

Quality of Life 21/12/02

News & Notes 21/12/02

So Much Holiday Fun – 11/25/21

Healthy pumpkin oatmeal

This Week 21/11/25

Big Events November 25, 2021 and beyond

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