This Week 25/03/13

Thursday, March 13

The BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) will host TR3 with Tim Reynolds tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $36 in advance or $44 at the door.

Thursday, March 13

Country trio Rascal Flatts will perform at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) tonight at 7 p.m. on their “Life is a Highway” Tour. Country stars Chris Lane and Lauren Alaina will open. Tickets start at $24.75 through ticketmaster.com.

Friday, March 14

Cowboy Bebop Live will come to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 8 p.m. The Bebop Bounty Big Band brings together storytelling and high-octane jazz in a complete multimedia experience highlighting the story of critically acclaimed anime Cowboy Bebop on the big screen with live music. Tickets start at $39.

Saturday, March 15

The Manchester Historic Association (129 Amherst St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org) will present a lecture, “All Aboard for Pine Island Park!,” at the Millyard Museum today from 11 a.m. to noon. Free with Museum admission. RSVP at 622-7531 or [email protected].

Saturday, March 15

Learn how to make Ukrainian Easter Eggs, which elaborately decorated with dye and hot wax, from Ukrainian artisans today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. ans Dunay, March 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. The cost is $44 pe rperson or $30 per person for groups of four at NH School of Languages and Arts, 3J Taggard Drive in Nashua. Sign up by emailing [email protected].

Saturday, March 15

Uncensored: Underground Art Experience” will be held today from 6 to 8 p.m. at 20 Garden Walk in Manchester, according to an email from Porsche Jones, one of the artists whose work will be displayed (others include Hazel Heywood of Grindark Studios, Jenn Coffey, Dapper Thom, Jenny Tibbits, Hannah Rowell-Jore and more). Admission is free to this exhibit “which showcases work that is political or otherwise too provocative for your average show. Not suitable for all ages,” the email said.

Saturday, March 15

Join To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947, tosharebrewing.com) tonight at 7 p.m. for the Hardcore Queens Breaking Up Band and Drag Show, hosted by Glamme Chowdah. Tickets for this 21+ show are $15 cash at the door.

Sunday, March 16

Dartmouth Health Children’s Battle of the Badges Hockey presented by the Elliot Perry Foundation will take place today at 1 p.m. at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) when Team Police and Team Fire face off in this annual fundraiser. Tickets cost $16 for adults; kids 12 and under can get in for free. See childrens.dartmouth-health.org/events for more.

Save the Date! Friday, March 21
Ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham will take the stage at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m. as part of his Artificial Intelligence Tour. Tickets start at $66.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 25/03/13

Pi Day

Friday, March 14, is National Pi Day — as in π, 3.14… . The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is holding a Pi Day Lunar Eclipse celebration from 12:01 to 3 a.m. on Friday, an all ages event that includes Pi activities, watching the lunar eclipse and pizza, according to starhop.com (registration required). Sal’s Pizza in Manchester and Derry is tossing itself into the spirit of the day, by offering $3.14 off every extra-large pizza when you use the code “PIDAY” in store or online.

QOL score: +1 (.1415926….)

Comment: According to the Sal’s website, an extra-large pizza is 19 inches in diameter. Using the formula C=πd, that works out to a circumference of approximately 59.7 inches.

Potholes will get worse from now on

Between fluctuations in temperature and the hard wear we put our roads through, potholes are an unavoidable hazard of driving in New Hampshire. According to a Feb. 17 article in Discover magazine, we should expect them to only get worse. The article quoted Jennifer Jacobs, a civil engineer at the University of New Hampshire. “[Roads] are designed to operate under certain climate or weather conditions,” she said. Jacobs and her team have used climate change models to calculate the damage to roads under hotter weather and more extreme temperature shifts, and have determined that the calculations that are used to estimate how much maintenance our roads will need might be significantly inaccurate in coming decades.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The Discover magazine article went on: “To resist the forces of climate change, the team recommends making asphalt layers 7 to 32 percent thicker, with layers getting heftier as temperatures rise. ”

Winnie graduates

As reported by WMUR in a March 5 online article, Winnie, an emotional support dog with the state’s 911 call centers, has graduated from her training and is ready to start full-time work providing support to New Hampshire’s emergency dispatchers. According to WMUR, with the help of her trainer Abigail and the Hero Pups organization, Winnie “was recognized by the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Emergency Services and Communications for completing training.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: WMUR quoted Mark Doyle, the director of emergency services and communications: “Winni has been specifically trained to provide emotional support and mental health wellness for our team. Since Winni completed her training and joined the team full-time around the start of the new year, her impact has been immediate and overwhelmingly positive.”

Downward dog. And cat. And maybe bunny.

As reported by The Concord Monitor in a March 10 online story, a local program is pairing yoga practitioners with animal partners. “To encourage the adoption of animals in their shelter and foster connections between humans and their four-legged counterparts,” the article reads, “Pope Memorial SPCA holds yoga classes twice a month where participants can practice poses alongside shelter pets.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Spending time with an animal has been shown to lower stress in humans, the SPCA said in the article, as does yoga.

QOL score last week: 57

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 59

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

Let us know at [email protected].

News & Notes 25/03/13

TB patient

According to a press release from March 7, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services and the Manchester Health Department identified a person with tuberculosis who was at the Families in Transition Adult Shelter and the 1269 Cafe in Manchester while infectious. “Anyone who visited these facilities from October 1, 2024, through January 31, 2025, could have been in contact with the individual and testing is available to find out if they were exposed to the bacteria that causes TB,” the release said. “People who believe they may have been exposed can also contact their primary care provider to request TB testing. Anyone without a primary care provider can call 211 to establish care.” On average, 12 people are diagnosed with TB in the state each year, the release said. Call DHHS at 271-4496 or visit dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/tuberculosis-tb.

Scam restitution

Homeland Security Investigations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire are seeking to identify victims of a gift card fraud scheme for victim restitution purposes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release. “In December 2023, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Concord, New Hampshire Police Department (CPD) began investigating a sophisticated gift card fraud scheme that is perpetuated by criminal organizations in China. This network has established a base of operations in New Hampshire due to the State’s tax-free retail environment and is responsible for millions of dollars in consumer losses,” the release said. The filing period for victims is open until June 30. “Potential fraud victims who had gift card funds stolen or used without authorization between October 1, 2023, and January 11, 2024 … are asked to provide the gift card number(s) and receipt or proof of purchase to [email protected]. Please also include the victim’s name and contact phone number,” the release said.

Baby shower

United Way of Greater Manchester is asking for donations for its annual Community Baby Shower on Wednesday, April 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the United Way of Greater Nashua office, according to a press release. The United Way is accepting new and gently used baby items including strollers, high chairs, carriers/backpacks, pack & plays, cribs (mattresses not accepted), diapering items, feeding supplies, clothes and more, the release said. Donations can be dropped off at 20 Broad St. in Nashua between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays by April 18, the release said. The United Way also has a donation registry: tinyurl.com/2025BBSHWR. Email [email protected] or see unitedwaynashua.org.

“Moving Parts,” an exhibit of kinetic energy in art, will open at Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St. in Manchester; mosaicartcollective.com) on Saturday, March 15, with a reception from 4 to 8 p.m., according to Mosaic’s Facebook page. See Saw Art, a gallery space within Mosaic, will also open an exhibit on March 15: “Here & There” featuring artwork by Heather Morgan, Eleanor Croteau-LaBranche, Samantha Johnson and Mark Abercrombie, which will also have a reception from 4 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display March 14 through March 30; see seesaw.gallery.

The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org) will hold its annual Spring Iron Melt on Saturday, May 10. Purchase a mold now for $45 to carve at home and return to the Andres Welcome Center for the pour. See andresinstitute.org.

The March Science Cafe at Soel Sistas Cafe (30 Temple St. in Nashua) will meet on Tuesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. to discuss “Mindful Insights: Unraveling the Science of Meditation.” Attendance is free.

The Nashua Public Library Friends Annual Book and Media Sale runs Friday, March 14, through Sunday, March 16. Friends members (you can join at the door) get Friday access; the general public can attend Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Most items are 25 cents to $2. See nashualibrary.org.

Play On — 03/06/2025

on the cover

10 Symphony NH is coming to the end of its Roger Kalia era — at the end of the season in May, he will set off for Indiana and the Symphony will embark on a season-long journey to find the perfect fit for the job. Michael Witthaus gets the details about the Symphony’s plan and talks to Kalia.

Also on the cover: Actually, let’s start with what’s not on the cover — thank you to everybody who voted in Hippo’s Best of 2025 readers’ poll. Look for the results in early April. In this week’s issue, John Fladd takes a look at the many restaurants of The Nash Casino (page 20). Rock band River Sang Wild plays two shows at Pats Peak (page 26). Homefree makes cookies safe for all (page 20).

Read the e-edition

members of an orchestra seen from the back, trumpet player holding up his trumpet in one hand, dark stage
A look at Symphony NH as its music director prepares to pass the baton Though it doesn’t take cues from ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Town meeting The N.H. Secretary of State’s office has a “New Hampshire Town Meeting Voter’s Guide” on its website, sos.nh.gov, ...
Photo of assorted sports equipment for football, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball, and basketball
The Big Story – Spring Training: Baseball games are back as the spring training exhibition season is under way. Sports ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Not returning In a Feb. 26 online article, WMUR reported that Spirit Airlines will not be returning to Manchester-Boston Regional ...
two men wearing flannel and jeans, leaning against car, words LOCASH Hometown Home overlaid at the bottom of the image
Thursday, March 6 LOCASH will perform at the The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) ...
Relief sculpture done in white plaster, showing stylized female figure holding infant to her chest, pressing their cheeks together, mounted on white panels
New twist on religious iconography at Currier The mother-and-child theme has been part of Ann Agee’s art going back to ...
photo of framed abstract print showing lines and shapes in muted colors, simple thin dark fram with white matt around print
Hi, Donna, I enjoy your column in the Hippo and am wondering if you would have any insight into a ...
Family fun for whenever Sweet fun • NH Maple Weekend is next weekend (March 15-16) but Charmingfare Farm (774 High ...
A table of delicious food, including mini burgers, a large pretzel, and pancakes.
New casino offers a full house of restaurants and bars By John Fladd [email protected] When The Nash, the new casino ...
Red round icon that reads Weekly Dish
News from the local food scene By John Fladd [email protected] • New player in the enchilada game: A new Mexican ...
Cole Gaude. Courtesy photo.
Cole Gaude is the owner and head ice cream maker of Social Club Creamery (138 N. Main St, Concord, 333-2111, ...
Freshly baked cookies without the top 14 allergens.
The challenge of putting less in a cookie By John Fladd [email protected] It’s probably fair to say that Jill Robbins’ ...
A plate of tasty corn fritters.
By John Fladd [email protected] This recipe came from what most of us call an “Old Church Lady Cookbook.” “Old” in ...
Yes, Relayer (Atlantic Records) Rush, Permanent Waves (Anthem Records), & Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano, Painting The Town (Human Child Records)
Anika, Abyss (Sacred Bones Records) Since the assimilation of punk, New Wave, et al. by the corporate Matrix (it happens ...
Penitence, by Kristin Koval
Penitence, by Kristin Koval (Celadon, 320 pages) If former lawyer Kristin Koval’s debut novel, Penitence, were a court case, it ...
A scene from Paddington in Peru (PG)
Paddington and the Brown family go on a quest to find a missing, possibly treasure-hunting Aunt Lucy in the Amazonian ...
By Michael Witthaus [email protected] • Arena laughs: With an act that begins with an entrance riding a Vespa, Sebastian Maniscalco ...
River Sang Wild, Courtesy photo.
River Sang Wild plays a ski resort weekend By Michael Witthaus [email protected] A year ago River Sang Wild played an ...

Kiddie Pool 25/03/06

Family fun for whenever

Sweet fun

• NH Maple Weekend is next weekend (March 15-16) but Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) begins its maple fun this weekend with its Maple Express. Admission costs $29 per person and the event runs Saturdays and Sundays March 8, through March 23 (see the website for available admission times). Visitors can visit a sugar shack, see the maple process from tree to syrup, visit farm animals and more, according to the website.

Ben’s Sugar Shack (8 Webster Highway in Temple; bensmaplesyrup.com) has also started the sweet fun early giving free maple tours every Saturday and Sunday in March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New tours of the maple process start every 20 minutes, rain or shine, according to a post on Ben’s Facebook page, which recommends dressing warm and wearing boots. The happenings also include maple and maple product samples.

Free day

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will offer free admission to New Hampshire residents on Saturday, March 8, when the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of its Second Saturday offer. For more on the museum’s new exhibit “Ann Agee: Madonna of the Girl Child,” see the story on page 16.

A little science

• Head to the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org) on Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the inventions in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The machines, built by local students, solve the problem “Feed a Pet,” according to the website. Seeing the show is part of regular admission to the Center, which costs $14 per person (ages 3 and up). The center is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com) will hold its next Little Learners session on Wednesday, March 12, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The events are geared at ages 5 and under and include a story and a hands-on activity, according to the website. The event is included with regular admission, which costs $13 for adults, $12 for 62+ and 13 through college and $10 for ages 3 to 12 years old. During the school year, the Discovery Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On screen

• While you wait for Zendaya’s voice in Shrek 5, catch Shrek (PG, 2001) at Chunky’s in Manchester, chunkys.com, as part of the Little Lunch Date series on Wednesday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m.

• See the original Space Jam (PG, 1996) starring Michael Jordan and a whole lot of Looney Tunes on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at Flying Monkey in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the venue offers a special family-friendly menu on family movie nights.

On stage

• Palace Youth Theatre will present an hour-longDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musicalon Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org).

Welcome, campers

• If the Feb. 27 issue of the Hippo has you thinking about your summer day camp needs, put the NH Audubon Nature Camp Open House and Reunion on your calendar. The event on Thursday, March 13, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn) offers those new to camp a chance to ask questions about the programs. The evening will feature games, crafts, song, a pizza party, an animal presentation and more, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can RSVP. For more summer day camps, check out our listings, which start on page 10 of the Feb. 27 issue, which you can find at hippopress.com.

This Week 25/03/06

Thursday, March 6

LOCASH will perform at the The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Named “country music’s iconic feel-good duo” by People magazine, LOCASH — Preston Brust and Chris Lucas — serve upbeat, crowd-pleasing music. Tickets start at $65.

Thursday, March 6

The Grand Kyiv Ballet will perform Swan Lake tonight at 7 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com). Tickets start at $37.

Thursday, March 6

Comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalo will take the stage at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

Friday, March 7

The Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) will host the 3rd Annual Tiny Film Festival tonight at 6 p.m. All films are 60 seconds or less and made by members of the community. The screenings will be followed by an awards ceremony. Doors will be open at 5:30 p.m. for a red carpet walk, photos and popcorn and drinks. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, March 7

Catch the final weekend of Steel Magnolias presented by the Milford Area Players tonight through Sunday, March 9, at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford. Shows are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday. See milfordarea.booktix.com for tickets, which cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students (plus fees).

Saturday, March 8

The Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) will host the 2025 David Surette Mandolin Festival today and tomorrow, Sunday, March 9. There will be performances, workshops and classes for all levels on topics like specific styles and skills, waltzes, playing back-up and more. Visit ccmusicschool.org.

Saturday, March 8

Go to the Henniker Brewing Co. (129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com) this afternoon to watch or race in a Pinecar Derby Race. Pinecar derby kits are available for purchase in the taproom. Purchase a kit and register for the race for $20. Build your own pinecar (standard pinecar rules apply) and register for the event with your own car for $10. Visit hennikerbrewing.com/taproom-events.

Wednesday, March 12

March’s Walker Lecture at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord, 228-2793, theaudi.org) tonight at 7:30 p.m. will be “A Walk for Sunshine: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail” with Jeff Alt. This event is free and open to the public. Visit walkerlecture.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, April 5

Register for the Derry Author Fest taking place at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org) on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be sessions for new and aspiring authors, book signings, and a keynote address from broadcaster and writer Laura Knoy. Visit derryauthorfest.wordpress.com.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

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