Author: The Hippo Press

News & Notes 20/07/30

lyCovid-19 updateAs of July 20As of July 27
Total cases statewide6,2496,441
Total current infections statewide565407
Total deaths statewide398409
New cases190 (July 14 to July 20)211 (July 21 to July 27)
Current infections: Hillsborough County328201
Current infections: Merrimack County3128
Current infections: Rockingham County127103
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Governor’s updates

On July 17, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-15, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the Covid-19 pandemic for another three weeks through at least Aug. 7. It’s the sixth extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency on March 13.

On July 21, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 59, an order that temporarily halts premium and signature requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries until 90 days after the termination of the public health emergency.

On July 22, Sununu released the Governor’s Covid-19 Equity Response Team’s report, offering immediate, short-term and long-term recommendations. The report includes recommendations to increase community testing, to assure testing sites have written protocols for community outreach and demographic identifier data, to assure healthy food access, to deploy Covid-19 response community health workers and to provide isolation and quarantine housing support.

During a July 23 press conference, Sununu announced the launch of the Empowering Youth Program as part of the Invest in the Future Fund, which allocates about $4.5 million of federal CARES act funding to ensure kids in New Hampshire have programs available to them that traditionally exist in the summer. About $2 million of that $4.5 million will be used for the Empowering Youth Program. “The goal … is just to provide funding for things like day camps, or recreational sports and other recreational programs, so we’re not just taking the summer in an isolated chunk,” Sununu said. “We want to create a continuum of opportunities for these kids that extend, as we finish out the summer and then move into the next year.” Now through Aug. 17, organization leaders can file an application by visiting goferr.nh.gov. To be eligible for funding, programs must serve youths, at least 75 percent of which are New Hampshire residents.

On July 27, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 60, rescinding the state ban on reusable shopping bags in grocery stores, which had been in place since March 21. “We looked at the latest data, consulted with officials at public health and ask individuals to be courteous and respectful to retail/grocery workers by cleaning your reusable bags,” Sununu wrote in a tweet.

Details of all of Sununu’s Emergency and Executive Orders can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Laws and vetoes

Gov. Chris Sununu has signed into law and vetoed several House bills in the past week. Here are some of the highlights, according to press releases from the Office of the Governor.

HB 1135 was signed into law. Among other things, this law declares June 6 as D-Day Remembrance Day and Aug. 31 as Overdose Awareness Day, and it makes Holocaust education compulsory in New Hampshire schools and establishes a commission to study best teaching practices for the subject.

HB 731 was vetoed, relative to raising the minimum wage. In his veto statement, Sununu said that when minimum wages increase, employees often end up with fewer hours, or jobs are eliminated. “Now is exactly the wrong time to pursue policies that will reduce the chances of Granite Staters being able to get back to work and that will further hinder our employers who are already struggling in this global pandemic,” Sununu said in his statement. “This bill would have meant fewer jobs and fewer available hours for our workers who are unemployed or underemployed.”

HB 1454 was vetoed, relative to alternative education. In his veto statement, Sununu said the bill would have “effectively killed” the Learn Everywhere program, which “empowers parents to find the best educational paths for their children, and allows students to access a broader range of courses than their schools could provide on their own.” He said the bill would restrict parents’ ability to find alternatives to their children’s education.

SB 124 was vetoed, relative to the minimum electric renewable portfolio standards. In his veto statement, Sununu said the bill could potentially cost electric ratepayers $300 million in new subsidies each year, and the state would need to use 20 square miles of land to achieve the solar energy goal set forth in the bill.

All legislative staff and legislators entering the Statehouse in Concord are now required to wear a mask, after the New Hampshire Joint Committee on Legislative Facilities voted 11-0 last week in favor of the mandate, according to a press release. Masks will be required in all public areas.

Live and Let Live Farm in Chichester, the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford and the Friends of Manchester Animal Shelter will benefit from the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s “Allies for Animals” raffle, which features “some of the world’s most sought-after whiskies, bourbons, scotches and cordials,” according to a press release from the Commission. Raffle tickets are $100 and are available through Sept. 15 at liquorandwineoutlets.com/allies.

Help “Stuff the Bus” for students in the greater Nashua area on Saturday, Aug. 1, when United Way will be accepting donations of school supplies from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Staples in Nashua, Staples in Amherst, Big Lots in Nashua, and Sam’s Club in Hudson, according to a press release. Donations will also be accepted that day through Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, at Target in the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. The supplies support back-to-school programs at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Nashua Goes Back to School, Milford SHARE Outreach and school districts in the region.

On-the-go deliciousness

On-the-go deliciousness More and more food trucks featuring all kinds of eats are popping up in locations throughout southern New Hampshire. Find out where to get everything from egg rolls and vegan ice cream to tacos and chicken wings.

Also on the cover, find Uncommon Art on the Common in Goffstown, p. 6, and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s annual fair online, p. 10. And there’s a series of outdoor music happening in Concord this summer, p. 26.

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Signs of Life 20/07/30

All quotes are from The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance, by Tom Brady, born Aug. 3, 1977.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) What are your goals? How do you define success in your life? Only you can answer that! Yay!

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) The game never stops evolving, so why should I? You shouldn’t.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) … just because you’re standing at a buffet, that doesn’t mean you’re supposed to eat everything. You should eat just enough so that you feel full, and no more. Sports training is no different. Binge watching may not be the best way to go, either.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Many gym trainers tell athletes to target their upper bodies on Mondays and Wednesdays and their lower bodies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At TB12, we advise athletes to do upper body, core, and lower body in the same workout. A comprehensive approach is best.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) … the ones I remember best are the closely fought games in which, no matter what the scoreboard says, our team put in our best effort. Ah, those are good times.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Strong athletes like to work on strength, and fast athletes like to work on speed. But that doesn’t create balance. To create balance, we need to work on our deficiencies as well. You know what you need to do.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) After the seventh push-up, your chest is straining and you feel fatigued. … But your brain says, ‘Keep going! Fight hard!’ It asks other muscles to step in to help you finish. It could be your lats, your triceps, or your butt — your brain calls on any muscle that will help you achieve your goal and finish what you set out to do. But to me, form first means engaging only the muscles you should be engaging for the movement you are attempting to do. That’s how you keep the proper balance. Start easy and work your way up.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) If you do daily squats with a four-hundred-pound load on your back, the only thing you’ll get better at is squatting with a four-hundred-pound load on your back. Which could come in handy sometime!

Aries (March 21 – April 19) Make sure you maintain the right biomechanically correct form — knees over feet, hips over knees, and your core engaged — before you start, and stop performing an exercise the moment your form starts to break down. One good push-up is better than 10 bad ones.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Sometimes I think I’m the most hydrated person in the world. It’s not a competition.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Sometimes we see older people working out with bands, or doing water aerobics or tai chi. It turns out that they know something the rest of us don’t. Ask them what they know.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) If we’ve lost but I’ve learned something, the game turns into a positive experiment. Sometimes in the moment it doesn’t feel that way, because the emotions are running so high — but you try to learn and move on. Lesson No. 1: Don’t send Lenny from Accounting for coffee.

47 ideas for family fun this summer

Pick flowers, play mini-golf — and more ideas for getting out of the house

After months of limiting your away-from-home excursions to the supermarket, there are an increasing number of places where you can go and have (safe, often masked) fun with the whole family. Here are 47 ideas for how to spend your summer days.

Indoor Activities

1. Learn about the history of telephones at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum (1 Depot St., Warner), open now, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum features nearly 1,000 telephones, switchboards and other telecommunication memorabilia, plus an interactive kids room. Admission costs $7 for adults, $6 for seniors age 60 and up and $3 for students in grades 1 through 12. Call 456-2234 or visit nhtelephonemuseum.com.

2. Try your hand at felting at Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis). Upcoming in-person felting workshops include a felted jellyfish for kids in grades 4 and up and adults and a felted strawberry keychain for kids in grades 4 through 7 on Friday, July 17, and a felted unicorn for kids in grades 4 and up and adults on Friday, Aug. 7. The cost is $29. Register online at wildsalamander.com.

3. Go bowling at a local alley, several of which have reopened across the state. Yankee Lanes (216 Maple St., Manchester, 625-9656, yankeelanesentertainment.com), for example, has unlimited bowling from 7 to 10 p.m. four nights a week for $10 per person (including shoe rentals). Other alleys like Merrimack Ten Pin (698 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-0989, merrimacktenpin.com) and Leda Lanes (340 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-5459, ledalanes.com) are also now open.

4. Free Comic Book Day has been rescheduled and reworked as Free Comic Book Summer. From July 15 through Sept. 9, participating local comic book shops will put out five or six different free comics every week. The comics include superhero stories, television and move spin-offs, sci-fi adventures and more. Visit freecomicbookday.com for the full list of this year’s free comics and to find participating comic book shops in your area.

5. Enjoy a game of laser tag at Block Party Social (51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett), formerly known as the Space Entertainment Center, in its multi-story LED-illuminated arena. Multiple types of games are available between two teams and each player receives a personalized score sheet. The cost starts at $18 per person. Visit blockpartysocial.com or call 621-5150.

6. Take a cooking class with the Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Derry), which is hosting all kinds of classes both in person and virtually. “Mini chefs” cooking classes for kids ages 3 to 6 are currently being offered virtually through Zoom, while cooking camps are held throughout the summer. Costs vary; visit culinary-playground.com, or call 339-1664 for class availability. LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) is also offering a series of cooking classes for kids, the next of which is happening on Wednesday, July 15, at noon. The cost is $20 per child. Visit labellewinerynh.com or call 672-9898.

7. You’ll find all kinds of STEM fun at SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester), which plans to reopen in early August. The museum features more than 90 exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and is home to the Lego Millyard Project, the largest permanent minifigure scale Lego installation in the world, depicting Manchester’s Amoskeag Millyard circa 1900. Call 669-0400 or visit see-sciencecenter.org.

8. Let the kids climb! Go indoor rock climbing at Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919; 25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 943-7571, verticaldreams.com), which reopens on Monday, July 6. A day pass is $15 for adults and $13 for kids under age 18, and a 10-visit pass is $125/$105. Rentals packages including shoes and a harness are $10, plus an additional $2 for a chalk bag rental. For younger kids, check out the indoor playground with slides and a climbing structure at Nuthin But Good Times (746 DW Highway in Merrimack; nuthinbutgoodtimes.com, 429-2200) which is open now at 25 to 30 percent capacity, according to their website. The cost is $9.50 for children ages 4 and above ($6 for 3 and under, $2.50 for “crawlers” and adults and free for infants).

9. Jump into a good time at Altitude Trampoline Park (270 Loudon Road, Concord; 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack), which reopened on June 19 to 50 percent capacity at both its Concord and Merrimack locations. Jump passes are available for purchase for 60, 90 or 120 minutes (buying them online ahead of time is encouraged). Specials are also available throughout the week, depending on the day. Both parks are open Sunday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 8 p.m. Visit altitudeconcord.com or altitudemerrimack.com.

10. You can go indoor skydiving, indoor surfing and more at SkyVenture (100 Adventure Way, Nashua), which is open now by reservation. Skydiving rates are $55 for a two-minute flight and $95 for a four-minute flight. Fifteen-minute surfing sessions are $45. Call 897-0002 or visit skyventurenh.com.

11. Explore Manchester history,from the native people who fished at Amoskeag Falls 11,000 years ago to the city’s early farmers and lumbermen and the rise of industry, at the Millyard Museum(200 Bedford St., Manchester), open now, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18 and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

12. You’re Fired pottery studio (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, No. 101, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; 4 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 204-5559; yourefirednh.com) has open studio hours on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. All-day studio fees are $8 for adults and $6 for kids age 12 and under, except on “Mini Mondays,” when kids get in for $3. Visit yourefirednh.com.

13. Bring the family for some retro fun at Electric Avenue (24 Bridge St., Manchester), where you’ll find 24 classic arcade games, nine classic pinball machines and skee-ball. The barcade, which plans to reopen the second week of July, is family-friendly and open to gamers of all ages before 8 p.m. New hours are TBA. Call 518-5770 or visit electricavearcade.com.

14. Bounce around at Cowabunga’s indoor inflatable playground (725 Huse Road, Manchester), which plans to reopen on July 31. All-day admission costs $12 for kids and is free for accompanying adults and babies. Call 935-9659 or visit mycowabungas.com.

15. Catch a planetarium show at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord). Showtimes for three different shows are scheduled now through July 12, Wednesday through Sunday. Learn about the Wright brothers and other pioneers of flight in Take Flight! (11:30 a.m.) and the early days of space exploration in Dawn of the Space Age (1 p.m.), or get a look at the night sky in the center’s classical planetarium show Tonight’s Sky (2:30 p.m.). General admission costs $11.50 for adults, $8.50 for children ages 3 through 12, $10.50 for students age 13 through college and seniors, and is free for children age 2 and under. Planetarium show tickets cost an additional $5 per person. Call 271-7827 or visit starhop.com.

16. Have fun working together and solving puzzles at 102 Escape (123 Nashua Road, Unit 34, Londonderry). Escape room experiences are available by appointment Monday through Thursday and are open to kids age 7 and up. The cost is $25 per person. Call 260-6198 or visit 102escape.com.

17. Catch a movie at a local theater. Chunky’s Cinema & Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 880-8055; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-7499) has reopened all of its locations as of June 29. All three theaters are showing The Jungle Book, Trolls World Tour and Despicable Me this weekend, while in Nashua and Manchester, you can see The Lorax. Visit chunkys.com for available showtimes.

18. Let the beanbags fly during a game of cornhole at Game Changer Sports Bar & Grill (4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry), a new indoor cornhole facility with eight courts available for pickup and play. The courts are normally open during weekdays when tournaments are not being held. Visit gamechangersportsbar.com or call 216-1396 for availability.

Outdoor Adventures

19. Head to Chuckster’s Family Fun Park (9 Bailey Road, Chichester, 798-3555; 53 Hackett Hill Road, Hooksett, 210-1415) for a round of mini-golf. The park, according to its website, has two of the “longest miniature golf holes on the planet,” or a pair of 201-foot-long holes, at both its Chichester and Hooksett parks. Not a single hole is duplicated at either park. In Chichester, miniature golf is one of more than a dozen attractions, while at the Hooksett park the focus is more solely on miniature golf, with two large 18-hole courses to choose from. No masks are required for players once on the course. Visit chucksters.com or call your local park for hours of operation, which are weather-dependent and subject to change.

20. Ride the go-carts at Mel’s Funway Park (454 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield), which is now open seven days a week for the season, according to its website. Rates are available for a single ride around the 1/5-mile track or for up to five rides. There is a height restriction of 58 inches per driver, but those under that height can ride with a driver over the age of 18. Mel’s is currently open Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m., Friday from noon to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visit melsfunwaypark.com or call 424-2292.

21. Spend a day later this summer at an amusement or theme park. Canobie Lake Park (85 N. Policy St., Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com) has announced its plan to reopen for the season on Thursday, July 16, at limited capacity. Visit the website or follow them on social media for updates. Story Land (850 Route 16, Glen, 383-4186, storylandnh.com), another park to return later this summer, will reopen on July 17 to season pass holders and on July 22 to the public, according to its website. Those with season passes are able to have unlimited admission extended through the 2021 season, the park recently announced.

22. Learn to golf at the Amherst Country Club (72 Ponemah Road), which is offering lessons and camps this summer for kids of all ages and abilities. Visit playamherst.com or call 673-9908.

23. Take the kids out to the ballgame. The Nashua Silver Knights, part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will play 21 home games at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) this season, which opens Thursday, July 2, and concludes on Wednesday, Aug. 19, followed by a best-of-three series to determine the season’s league champion. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

24. Pay a visit to America’s Stonehenge (105 Haverhill Road, Salem), a 4,000-year-old stone construction — likely the oldest man-made construction in the United States — built by an ancient people as an astronomical calendar to determine solar and lunar events of the year. Now through Labor Day, kids age 12 and under can participate in the Kid’s Gem Dig Open (included with admission) in which they can keep up to three gemstones they find using real archaeologist tools. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission rates are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors age 65 and up, $7.50 for kids ages 5 through 12, and free for kids age 4 and under. Call 893-8300 or visit stonehengeusa.com.

25. Create your own flower bouquet from more than 60 varieties of annual and perennial flowers at Petals in the Pines’ (126 Baptist Road, Canterbury) Pick-Your-Own Flower Field starting in mid-July. The 7.5-acre nature center also has wooded trails, 24 themed gardens and a monarch butterfly sanctuary to explore. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 783-0220 or visit petalsinthepines.com.

26. Take the kids fishing at a local body of water. In New Hampshire, kids under age 16 can fish for free and without a license all summer long. Visit wildlife.state.nh.us/fishing for information about where to fish and what kinds of fish you can catch, plus tips for fishing with kids.

27. Take a walk through history at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) and see the village’s 25 restored original Shaker buildings, four reconstructed Shaker buildings and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails and mill ponds. The buildings are closed for now, but visitors can walk the grounds for free, and beginning July 5 there will be free outdoor guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.

28. Go hiking at a state park trail, nearly all of which are open with social distancing guidelines. Visit nhstateparks.org to view a list of the parks that are open (playgrounds and indoor venues at each of the state parks remain closed until further notice). Some parks are requiring advanced day use reservations.

29. You may still be able to go swimming close to home this summer, depending on what town you live in. Manchester expects to open Crystal Lake and Dupont Splash Pad in mid-July and Hunt Pool some time after, and Merrimack has already opened its Wasserman Park Beach. Town and city swimming areas are typically only open to residents, so check with your town or city for updates.

30. Go camping at a local campground in the state. As of last week, select state park campgrounds are accepting reservations for July and August. Camping reservations are currently being accepted, for example, at Bear Brook State Park (61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown) and at Pawtuckaway State Park (7 Pawtuckaway Road, Nottingham), both of which are open at 100 percent capacity as of June 29. Visit nhstateparks.org or contact your local private campground regarding availability.

31. Visit the animals at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia), open now on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (must arrive before 1 p.m.). It features a large hands-on petting area with a variety of farm animals as well as wildlife exhibits. Admission costs $19 per person and must be reserved online in advance. Call 483-5623 or visit visitthefarm.com.

32. Get your adrenaline pumping with a game of paintball at AG Adventure Park (158 Deering Center Road, Weare), open now by reservation. There’s the painless Paintball Lite for kids as young as age 7 and Low Impact Paintball for kids as young as age 9, and regular paintball is open to players age 12 and up. Rates vary. Equipment rental packages are available. Call 529-3524 or visit agpaintball.com.

33. You can view a movie from your car at the Milford Drive-In Theater (531 Elm St., Milford). Weekly movie schedules are posted on the website. Tickets cost $30 for a vehicle with one to six people and can be purchased online. Visit milforddrivein.movie.

34. Or you can sit outside and watch a movie in the park. Merrimack Parks & Recreation’s Movies in the Park Series will feature Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Friday, July 10, at 8:30 p.m.; Toy Story 4 on Friday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m.; and Frozen 2 on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. All screenings take place at Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack) and are free and open to both Merrimack residents and non-residents. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org or call 882-1046.

35. Practice your swing at one of the batting cages in the state. Concord Sports Center (2 Whitney Road, No. 1, Concord) is accepting reservations now for its batting cages. The cost is $20 per half-hour or $35 per hour with the pitching machine, or you can be your own batter’s pitcher. Visit concordsportscenter.com or call 224-1655 to reserve your spot now.

36. Farms all over the Granite State are open now for pick-your-own strawberries, which typically last through about mid-July. Apple Hill Farm (580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com) and Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com) are among some of the farms offering pick-your-own. Call or visit the website or social media pages for updates and availability.

Special Events

37. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Atlas Fireworks are presenting three special nights of fireworks on Thursday, July 2; Friday, July 3; and Saturday, July 4, with socially distanced seating available in the stands and on the field at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). The gates open at 7 p.m., with fireworks beginning at 9:30 p.m. Limited concessions will be available, or you can bring your own sealed food and non-alcoholic beverages in a cooler. The cost is $10 per person or $40 per group of four for stadium seating, or $13.33 per person or $80 per group of four for on-field picnic seating. Visit nhfishercats.com.

38. See a classic car show. The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) will host its annual car show on Saturday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date is July 12), featuring raffles, prizes, food trucks and more. Vehicles of all makes and eras will be featured, with trophies given out for the People’s Choice Award and the Museum Award. Registration is $10 per vehicle per entry (plus occupants). General public admission is $5 for adults and free for children ages 12 and under (cash only). Visit nhahs.org or call 669-4820.

39. The Hampstead Cable Television Summer Concert Series presents a free kids concert by Steve Blunt & Friends on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. at Meetinghouse Park (20 Emerson Ave., Hampstead). Visit meetinghousepark.org.

40. Head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) for the rescheduled NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m. The grandstands and suites at “The Magic Mile” will be open to fans, with social distancing requirements. Attendance in the stands will be limited to 35 percent capacity. Tickets are $10 for kids ages 12 and under and $50 for adults. Visit nhms.com or call 783-4931.

41. A socially distanced version of the annual Great New England Barbecue & Food Truck Festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., both inside and out in the parking lot of the Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford). The event will feature a kids’ zone with face-painting, slime making, cookie decorating and bounce houses, plus craft and specialty food vendors, live music, and Jell-O and Twinkie eating contests. General admission tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the gate. Kids ages 12 and under receive free admittance.

42. The Londonderry Old Home Day, normally scheduled across four days in August, is being condensed into a one-day celebration of four activities on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Londonderry Town Common. According to assistant town manager Lisa Drabik, the day will kick off with a socially distanced parade at 10 a.m., followed by a road race overseen by Millennium Running, a first responders’ softball game on the field at Londonderry High School (295 Mammoth Road) and fireworks in the evening. Visit londonderrynh.org.

43. Intown Concord’s Market Days Festival, rescheduled from June, is happening on Thursday, Aug. 20; Friday, Aug. 21; and Saturday, Aug. 22, along Main Street in downtown Concord, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. In addition to a kids’ zone with bounce houses and mini-golf down by City Hall Plaza, there will be multiple games, crafts and activities on the Statehouse lawn, plus vendors, live entertainment and more. Visit intownconcord.org.

44. The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover) will hold its annual New Hampshire Maker & Food Fest virtually this year, with a new date of Saturday, Aug. 29. Up to 150 Maker Fest kits will be available for people to reserve online for free on a first-come, first-served basis, to be picked up at the museum prior to Aug. 29. The kits will include at-home projects, hands-on activities and more, all provided by the museum and participating makers. All videos, tutorials, demonstrations and performances will be available online through about a week after the festival. Visit childrens-museum.org or call 742-2002.

Featured Photo: Cowabunga’s. Courtesy photo.

Signs of Life 20/07/02

All quotes are from The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets, by Jean Craighead George, born July 2, 1919.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) But how were we going to manage the bath schedule? When we had the baby painted turtle in the tub for a couple of weeks before releasing him, it was simple enough to pick him up and put him in the sink while we showered. The ducklings would pop right out of the sink. If the ducklings have the tub, you can shower outside with the garden hose.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) The scrappy little crow … clawed the air as if to tear us to pieces. I went to the refrigerator, took out a cold cheeseburger, and stuffed a bite in his mouth, pressing it with my finger to make sure he swallowed. He did, and instantly changed his tune. … At the end of the day we had a pet crow. Crows like cheeseburgers.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) I saw another world through the eyes of my kestrel. It was a world of crickets, meadow flowers, cumulus clouds, thunderheads, and tree hollows. To get out of your own head, spend some time with nature.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Virginia was also happy to see the mice go. She was smiling the day the cage went to the basement. With a thank-goodness-that’s-over sigh, she opened Twig’s windows wide and let the fresh air from the woods blow through the room. Then Craig came home with a baby skunk. Maybe bring back the mice?

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) The bullfrog arrived in a bucket with eleven other bullfrogs that Craig and his friends had caught for the high school science teacher. ‘We’re not going to dissect them,’ Craig told me. ‘The teacher’s planning some behavioral study.’ … Craig covered the bucket for the night. Around two in the morning I heard a pot lid clanking to the floor, and frogs croaking. The frogs have their own ideas.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) ‘I’m not going to play with that crow anymore,’ she said. ‘He takes all my toys.’ Who needs a greedy playmate?

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) The little raccoons could climb up trees, but they couldn’t climb down. … [Their mother] loped up the tree, grabbed one by the scruff of its neck, and dropped it to the ground with a thud. Then she dropped the other one, hurried down the tree, and stood over them while she scolded them with snarls. Baby raccoons are not known for planning ahead.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) People see the world from an earthbound level. But ah, the bird. From the top of the roof, trees, and telephone poles, Crowbar got a bird’s-eye view of the world. He saw the entire neighborhood as well as what went on inside our house. From the trees he peered down at us through the windows. It’s a good time to recalibrate your perspective. And get a wheel alignment.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) Weasels sleep as hard as they play. Play hard, sleep hard.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) The next day Twig and Luke came running to the sunporch, where I worked and kept my typewriter, library, plants, bugs, and other things pertinent to raising children and writing nature books. It’s a sunporch and an office!

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) ‘Yammer [the owl] loves Road Runner,’ Twig said, and dashed to the TV…. A chord of music sounded, lights flashed, and all eyes — particularly Yammer’s — were riveted on that zany bird running on and off the screen. Enjoy a riveting performance.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) My first pet was a baby turkey vulture, a carrion eater fit for witches and monsters…. He was a work of art. I loved him on sight. You never know who you’ll connect with.

Quality of Life 20/07/02

2020, part 2
More businesses and organizations in New Hampshire are reopening and the state is coming out of shutdown mode. But we’re certainly not back to what life was like in January and who knows what “normal” is going to look like in the coming months. So, in this second half of 2020, QOL will restart the QOL meter, and restart at 50, as we do at the beginning of each year, recognizing that no 100-point meter can really gauge what it’s like to live in this unprecedented time (or accurately reflect all that has changed in the last few months).
QOL score: ?
Comment: There has been a lot of sadness over these past few months, a lot of frustration and a lot of fear. But there have been moments of optimism too. QOL will try to keep doing what QOL does best — pointing out the good stuff and the bad stuff that is part of life here in southern New Hampshire.

First in the nation!
New Hampshire is the most patriotic state in the country, according to a study from WalletHub, which used data of 13 “key indicators of patriotism” to compare the 50 states. Among other findings, New Hampshire ranked first in Civics Education Requirement, fourth in Percentage of Adults Who Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election, sixth in Peace Corps Volunteers Per Capita, and 10th in Veterans per 1,000 Civilian Adults.
QOL score: +1
Comment: Following New Hampshire on the list was Wyoming, then Idaho, Alaska and Maryland, while California, New York and New Jersey were listed as the three least patriotic states in the country, according to WalletHub’s data.

Prices at the pump
The average gas price in New Hampshire was $2.07 as of June 29, according to GasBuddy, which is 13.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago but 52.4 cents lower per gallon than during this week last year. New Hampshire’s cheapest station was $1.83 per gallon, and the most expensive station was $2.29 per gallon. Though the prices have been rising gradually in recent weeks, they dropped slightly last week nationwide, likely due to a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, according to GasBuddy. “Motorists across the country will likely be influenced by what develops in those areas — improvement and a slowdown in Covid would cause gas prices to continue rising, while a continued resurgence in Covid-19 cases and a drop in gasoline demand will mean lower gas prices,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the release.
QOL score: 0 (because while $2.07 is low, that under $2 was such a welcome silver lining)
Comment: This is setting the state up to potentially have the lowest gas prices on the Fourth of July holiday since 2004, according to GasBuddy.

Great state for kids
The annual Annie E. Casey Foundation report found that New Hampshire is the second best state in the country for children’s well-being. The Granite State ranked second in the family and community domain, which includes data like Children in Single-Parent Families (30 percent in 2018) and Children Living in Poverty (1 percent in 2018). New Hampshire ranked fifth in the education domain and sixth in both the health and economic well-being domains.
QOL Score: +1
Comment: Massachusetts is the best state for children’s well-being, according to the report, beating New Hampshire in the education (second) and health (first) domains.

QOL score: 50
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 52
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected]

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