The Hippo Press – Page 54

This Week 24/04/18

Thursday, April 18

NH Roller Derby will host a Rookie Meet-N-Greet for interested skaters, referees and non-skating officials. No experience is necessary; skating experience is helpful but not essential. Go to the Manchester Ballers’ Association (3 Sundial Ave. in Manchester) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to meet players, ask questions and watch a practice. See nhrollerderby.com for links to info on their socials.

Thursday, April 18

Positive Street Art and the Greater Manchester Chamber host a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the opening of a new gallery show, “Accessibility Through the Trees.” It will be held at the Chamber’s Positive Street Art Satellite Gallery (54 Hanover St. in Manchester, positivestreetart.org). The exhibition, which runs from today until June, features work from New Hampshire artists Richella Simard and Amber Nicole Cannan. This event is free.

Saturday, April 20

It’s Record Store Day! Look for special vinyl and CD releases and promotional products made exclusively for the day. Festivities vary between record stores. See recordstoreday.com for participating stores — including Music Connection (1711 S. Willow St. in Manchester), which has a tantalizing photo of (still boxed) Record Store Day merch on its Facebook page, and Pitchfork Records (2 S. Main St. in Concord), which will open at 8 a.m., according to a post (with accompanying photo of a previous year’s line of eager RSD shoppers) on its Facebook page.

Saturday, April 20

The Women’s Service Club of Windham (womansserviceclubofwindham.org, 821-4592) is holding its 12th annual Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road in Windham). The fair will have more than 100 artisans with arts and crafts, including ceramics, glass, jewelry and more. There is a $2 suggested donation for admission.

Saturday, April 20

The Granite State Trading Cards & Collectibles Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord, concordnh.gov/496/Everett-Arena, 228-2784). There will be sports cards, trading card games, autographs, memorabilia, autograph signings and more. Admission is $5, free for children 12 and under. Free parking is available.

Saturday, April 20

The Bedford Event Center (379 S. River Road, Bedford, bedfordeventcenter.com, 997-7741) hosts Spring, Flowers, & Plants!, a free indoor-outdoor craft fair with food trucks, a drink tent, local vendors and children’s activities, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 21

Humor writer David Sedaris will read new selections, take questions and sign books at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, 225-1111) at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $57.75

Save the Date! Thursday, April 28
British Guitar Blowout: The Music of Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck featuring Journeyman & Beck-Ola, will come to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, 657-8774) on Thursday, April 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. These two tribute bands feature veteran performers including Shaun Hague, Marty Richards and Johnny A. Tickets start at $29.

Quality of Life 24/04/18

And the winner is

Ruby Shabazz, a Nashua native, has won best R&B song in the 2024 New England Songwriting Competition. According to its website (newenglandsongwritingcompetition.com) the contest describes its mission as “to nurture, recognize, and elevate the diverse voices and melodies that make up the vibrant music scene of New England.” This is the 15th contest. Ruby Shabazz won the award with “Thank You,” an autobiographical song about the meaning of gratitude. According to an April 6 press release from Shabazz, her style has been described as “an updated version of neo-soul mixed with the throwback sounds of Lauryn Hill.” This year’s New England Songwriting Competition had more than 500 submissions.

QOL score: +1

Comments: See Shabazz on Saturday, April 27, at 9 p.m. at the Smokehouse Tavern in Lowell, Mass., according to her website.

Stepping Stones closes

According to an April 12 broadcast story on WMUR, Stepping Stones, a Nashua shelter that helps homeless young adults who have aged out of foster care or fled situations of abuse, closed its residential facility last Tuesday. According to WMUR’s story, residents were given three weeks to find other living arrangements. On its website (steppingstonesnh.org) Stepping Stones has posted a simple message: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, Stepping Stones will be closing permanently on April 9, 2024.”

QOL score: -1

Comments: According to another WMUR story from Oct. 18 of last year, there are more than 3,000 homeless youth in New Hampshire.

Another kind of eclipse-related phenomenon

According to an April 10 news release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (dot.nh.gov), more than 54,000 cars traveled north on New Hampshire highways to view the April 8 eclipse. According to an April 9 story on WMUR.com, southbound traffic was especially harrowing: “Backups on major roadways such as Interstate 93 north of the Notches lasted into the early hours of the morning, and the roads were still crowded by Tuesday morning rush hour.”

QOL score: -1 for the less-fun eclipse gathering

Comments: According to WMUR, some eclipse viewers reported it took them more than 12 hours to get back to the southern part of the state.

Boston Marathon runners

New Hampshire runners did well in Monday’s Boston Marathon. According to WMUR (wmur.com) and the Boston Athletic Association (baa.org) the state’s fastest participants were Sam Fazioli of Derry, who placed 38th among male runners with a time of 2:23:49; Emilee Risteen, also of Derry, who placed 29th among female runners with a time of 2:43:12, and Nashua’s Thomas Cantara, who won the T20 Para division in 2:35:23. As reported by WMUR, Risteen said of the race, “It was a tougher day out there, but still fun.”

QOL score: +1

Comments: Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia was the fastest male runner, with a time of 2:06:17. Hellen Obiri of Kenya won her second consecutive Boston Marathon, with a time of 2:22:37.

Last week’s QOL score: 63

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 63

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

Let us know at [email protected].

New Hampshire is for the birds

A NH Audubon biologist discusses the importance of our feathered residents

Rebecca Suomala is a Senior Biologist with the New Hampshire Audubon Society.

Why are birds important to New Hampshire?

Birds are such an important part of our state for many reasons. For personal enjoyment, for economic reasons. There are birds that eat insect pests, there are birds that excavate cavities that other birds and other creatures use in the woods, and they’re just a phenomenal presence. They’re the one form of wildlife in the state that anybody can see — I’m excluding insects in this statement. If you think about when you walk out your door, if you’d like to see wildlife, birds are everywhere. We’re fortunate in New Hampshire that we still have woods, we still have fields, we still have coastal areas, we still have habitat for a wide variety of birds and it’s just wonderful.

What are some birds you are likely to see migrating back to New Hampshire?

We’ve got migrants coming back that have spent the winter to our south. Some of the ones that people are starting to see are red-winged blackbirds, chipping sparrows, killdeer and broad-winged hawk. Those are a few that people might see right in their backyard or nearby. Killdeer won’t be in people’s backyards, but they come back to schoolyards and big open field areas.

What are things that people can put out for birds in spring to bring birds to their homes that will not attract bears?

Birdbaths are something that can be an attractant to birds. You can, also, scatter seed on the ground. Not concentrated like it would be at a feeder but scattered around in your yard on the ground, and some of the smaller birds will feed on the ground, like cardinals like to feed on the ground. Northern cardinals, those are the red birds with the red crests. People really love them and they will feed on the ground, so scattering some seed under some bushes might be a good way to still have some seed out for birds. When we get into May, hummingbirds start coming back, and so you can put out a hummingbird feeder, which has sugar water in it, or you can put out fruit like orange halves or grape jelly for Baltimore orioles — they are a very colorful orange and black bird.

Are there any plants people can use to attract birds?

There are, and at this time of year if you have berry bushes or trees that hold their fruit all winter then there will be birds which come feed on them this time of year. The ones that people see the most right now … maybe crabapples that have stayed on the tree long would [attract] either the robin or cedar waxwings.

How should Granite Staters deal with woodpecker noise and bird nests?

In the springtime, the woodpeckers are usually making noise because a woodpecker drumming, you know that tet tet tet tet tet tet tet tet tet, that’s the woodpecker’s song, that’s how the male proclaims his territory, so he wants to make noise. He’s not trying to get into whatever he’s pecking on, he’s trying to make nice big loud noise, which of course, wakes you up in the morning. The best thing to do in that case is put something over wherever he’s pecking so it doesn’t make any noise, some foam or something over it that won’t make noise when he taps on it. Birds that make nests, like in a mailbox or on a wreath hanging on your door, the one thing to remember about that is that [for] small birds, it’s roughly two weeks to incubation and two to three weeks until the young fledge, so if you can stand it for like four to five weeks, then they will be gone.

Talk about your work with the common nighthawk.

They’re a fantastic bird! They eat insects, which they catch on the wing. They fly around and catch their insects. They’re only here from about mid-May until the end of August and they are active at dawn and dusk, they’re a crepuscular species…. They’re vulnerable to predation because they nest on the ground. They’re also vulnerable to the use of pesticides. Pesticides … can be fatal to some birds and then pesticides that cause decrease in insects cause a decrease in the food supply for nighthawks, so they’re a very vulnerable species, and they migrate all the way down to South America…. We’re still learning where they winter. In New Hampshire they are only remaining in a few places. The Ossipee Pine Barrens is one of the remaining strongholds. There are also pairs that nest in the Concord area but they used to nest on stone rooftops but many of those rooftops have been converted to … PVC. With the declining nighthawk population the only town that still has nighthawks resting in it is Concord. They have a fantastic display, the males do. They display over a potential nest area and they circle around above it and make a noise like … peent peent peent and then they do a spectacular dive where they just dive straight down and all of a sudden they pull their wings forward and swoop out of the dive and make this little whoosh noise, then they do it all over again. – Zachary Lewis

Earth Day Celebration
The New Hampshire Audubon holds its annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 20, with a variety of family-friendly activities. This year’s theme is “Planet vs. Plastics” according to the website. The day will feature animal ambassadors, games, crafts, seed giveaways, nest box building while supplies last, a food truck and more.
Where: NH Audubon Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way in Auburn
When: Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission: $15 for a family of four
More info: nhaudubon.org or 224-9909, ext. 400

Featured image: Becky Suomala birding at the southern tip of South America. Photo by Zeke Cornell.

News & Notes 24/04/18

Parks and ponds

The Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration program kicks off the 25th year of cleanups with a cleanup of Nutts Pond and Precourt Park on Saturday, April 20, from 9 to 11 a.m., rain or shine. Volunteers can meet at the kiosk at Driving Park Road (off South Willow Street). The spring schedule then includes Stevens Pond/Stevens Park on Saturday, April 27; Black Brook/Blodget Park on May 4, and McQuesten Brook/Wolfe Park on May 11, with all cleanups to run from 9 to 11 a.m. “Trash bags, latex gloves, and a handful of trash pickers will be available. Please wear rubber boots if you have them,” said the group’s newsletter. See manchesternh.gov/urbanponds for details and for summaries of past cleanups, or call 624-6527.

Smokey Bear says

An April 10 press release from the New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources announced that the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau has designated April 14 through April 20 “Wildfire Awareness Week,” citing rising temperatures, low relative humidity and gusty winds combined with over-wintered dry grasses and leaves, all of which contribute to elevate wildfire risk statewide. The bureau is joining U.S. and Canadian partners in the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Commission in a coordinated effort to educate the public about how people can lessen the occurrences of wildfire across the region, according to the same release.

Forest Ranger Nathan Blanchard said in a statement that “it’s important to recognize that, unlike other regions of the United States, wildfire season in New Hampshire can begin early in the spring.” Blanchard noted that “yard cleanup, spring cookouts and even things like the improper disposal of wood stove ash can create embers, sparks or other forms of heat that can easily ignite dry materials around them, causing a wildfire that can quickly run and turn into a big problem.”

In the last two decades the state has experienced an average of 285 wildfires per year impacting 221 acres annually on average, the release said. Wildfires pose a threat to forest-based recreational activities and forest product industries, which contribute around $4.6 billion dollars every year according to the New Hampshire Forest Action Plan from 2020, according to the same release.

Fire permits need to be obtained for any outdoor fires and can be acquired from your local fire department or nhfirepermit.com.

The Forest Protection Bureau has also announced it is planning to implement a prescribed burn at Blue Job State Forest in Farmington this year, depending on weather conditions, any time from April through October, according to an earlier press release, where approximately 20 acres will be burned by trained resource managers and wildfire personnel in order to improve blueberry habitat, improve conditions for birds and other wildlife that rely on blueberries for food and shelter, and reduce forest fuels like shrubs and grasses that could contribute to a wildfire.

For more information about the Division of Forests and Lands and the work of its Forest Protection Bureau, visit nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov or call 271-2214.

Relapse prevention

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections announced in an April 8 press release the launch of a new Relapse Prevention Program at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men in Concord designed for individuals returning to incarceration as the result of a parole violation.

The Relapse Prevention Program joins several other therapeutic communities within the department’s facilities, including its Wellness Units, the Residential Treatment Unit, the Pathways Program, and the Focus Program where New Hampshire Department of Corrections licensed mental health professionals use industry standard assessment tools to make recommendations for treatment including but not limited to the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s ASAM criteria, to determine placement, continued service, and transfer of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions, according to the press release.

Repeat substance misuse is the second-highest contributor to parole violation, although the percentage of those who violate their parole is only 2 percent of the overall parole caseload, according to the release.

Commissioner Helen Hanks said in a statement that “the introduction of the Relapse Prevention Program underscores the department’s continued commitment to expanding our range of treatment offerings, recognizing that a one size fits all model is not the right approach.” Visit corrections.nh.gov for more information.

Helping the kids

The Queen City Rotary Club is accepting applications for grants for youth-centered nonprofit organizations — an “Impact Grant” for organizations that serve underprivileged youth in the greater Manchester area and “Youth Serves Grant” for organizations that have a youth-related focus, according to a press release. Grant applications are due by Friday, April 26. See queencityrotary.org.

On Monday, April 22, Concord Public Library (45 Green St.) is hosting a DIY button-making drop-in for all ages where participants can craft an Earth Day lapel button from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Materials and instruction will be provided, according to the library website. Visit concordnh.gov.

On Saturday, April 20, and Sunday April 21, Charmingfare Farm in Candia (774 High St.) will host their first “Barnyard Babies & Beyond” family-friendly adventure between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to their website. Tickets are $29, free for children 23 months and younger. Visit visitthefarm.com.

Catch bands Jamdemic and The Mighty Colors on Saturday, April 20, from 6 to 9 p.m, at an Earth Day Benefit Concert at the welcome center of the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline. The concert benefits the institute and the Beaver Brook Association in Hollis. Tickets cost $25; see andresinstitute.org,

Exploring pubs – 04/11/2024

Do you want to go where everybody knows your name? That Cheers-y feeling is what Michael Witthaus describes at area pubs, each of which has its own personality. He looks at six such establishments and what they’re doing to build their unique communities.

Also on the cover This week’s art section is packed. On page 14, check out Michael’s story about the latest “A Distant Conversation” exhibit pairing two artists. On page 16, Zachary Lewis looks at upcoming shows from NSquared Dance. Plus listings, the Arts Roundup and more.

News & Notes 24/04/11

240411 Featured Content News

Higher education task force reports A press release from Tuesday, April 2, stated the Public Higher Education Task Force released ...

How to prepare for a hike

man in forestry uniform wearing baseball cap, standing on rocks in front of view of mountains in New Hampshire

240411 Q&A

Conditions on the trail are not like in your yard Lt. Jim Kneeland is the Search and Rescue Team Leader ...

Sox win big on left coast

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

240411 News Sports

The Big Story News Item – Sox Jump Out Fast: We’re just 10 games in, so it’s too early to ...

Quality of Life 24/04/11

240411 News Quality Of Life

Save it for next year, snow Just in case we forgot where we lived, April started with a snowstorm. Last ...

This Week 24/04/11

240411 News This Week

Friday April 12 The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester, milb.com/new-hampshire, 641-2005) will celebrate ...

Exploring Pubs

people sitting at bar in pub, back wall covered in photos and memorabilia

240411 Cover Stories Featured Content

A look at some of the gathering spots that offer their own unique character, entertainment and, of course, beer What ...

Art connections

painting of flowers in a glass jar sitting on a table, muted colors

240411 Art & Theater Featured Content Visual Arts

Currier curates a conversation Robert Mapplethorpe, Tulips. Courtesy photo. When Lorenzo Fusi joined the Currier Museum of Art in February ...

Body rolls & compass turns

female dancer in red dress, leaping in air in dance studio

240411 Art & Theater Featured Content Visual Arts

NSquared is home for modern dance By Zachary [email protected] Dance, artistic movement of the human body, is one of humankind’s ...

The Art Roundup 24/04/11

240411 Art & Theater Visual Arts

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • Frost show rescheduled: Due to the inclement weather on Thursday, ...

On The Job – Chantelle Morin

240411 Q&A

Jewelry maker and owner of CCMDesigns in Nashua (@ccmdesignsforyou) What do you wish you had known at the beginning of ...

Treasure Hunt 24/04/11

top view of an old portable record player

240411 Family Fun Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna, Is this record player a throw-away? Would someone use this still? Thank you for any help. Amy Dear ...

Kiddie Pool 24/04/11

240411 Family Fun Outdoors

Family fun for whenever Boogie! • Musical play group is held at the Arlington Street Community Center (36 Arlington St., ...

The Weekly Dish 24/04/11

240411 Food

News from the local food scene By John [email protected] • Chocolate and wine pairing: Learn to pair chocolate with wines ...

A great French baking contest

woman and young man standing behind table with assortment of bowls, frostings, and baking supplies as they decorate a cake

240411 Drink Featured Content Food

This year’s theme is plays and musicals How much do you know about the French-speaking world other than France or ...

A pint of jalapeños

2 cans of beer, on table beside Concord Craft Brewing

240411 Drink Food

A springtime tradition at Concord Craft Brewing Dennis Molnar, co-owner of Concord Craft Brewing, says weather plays a bigger role ...

The Right Tie: A Cocktail Parable

cocktail with ice in short glass on counter

240411 Drink

Charlie was definitely out of his element. Never mind that he’d worn a suit maybe three times in his life ...

Album Reviews 24/04/11

240411 Albums Pop

Kartell, Everything Is Here (Roche Musique) Debut LP from this French producer, who broke through in 2012 owing to his ...

Cool Food, by Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen

240411 Books Pop

Cool Food, by Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen (Blackstone Publishing, 320 pages) The actor Robert Downey Jr. was at ...

The Music Roundup 24/04/11

240411 Music This Week

Local music news & events • Victory lap: In a show rescheduled from last October for health reasons, Buddy Guy ...

Agent provocateur

240411 Featured Content Nightlife

Challenging comedy from Daniel Sloss Jokes can be made about anything, Daniel Sloss believes; nothing is off-limits. Among the topics ...

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

The Weekly Dish 24/04/11

News from the local food scene

By John Fladd
[email protected]

• Chocolate and wine pairing: Learn to pair chocolate with wines so they both taste even better. Tuscan Brands Wine Director Joe Comforti and Chocolate Educator Maggie Prittie of World Wide Chocolate will teach participants how to taste and source fine single-origin chocolates, and how to pair them with complementary Italian wines, Friday, April 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Tuscan Market at Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem, tuscanbrands.com, 912-5467). Tickets are $70 and available through the Tuscan Brands website.

• Children’s cooking class: Very young cooks (ages 5 and up) and their grownups can make homemade pizza and decorate cupcakes on Friday, April 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Derry, culinary-playground.com, 339-1664). Each adult-and-child pair will make a personal pizza topped how they like and decorate a themed cupcake. The cost is $45 per pair. To register, email [email protected].

• Spring flowers cookie decorating class: On Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., release your inner florist at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, labellewinery.com, 672-9898) at beginner hands-on cookie decorating class led by instructor Keli Wright. Participants will be given step-by-step instructions in mixing icing and piping intricate designs. Refreshments will be served. Tickets are $69 and are available on LaBelle’s website.

• Organic gardening: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NOFANH.org, 224-5022) will kick off its 2024 gardening series with an online class, “Native Perennial Food Plants For Your Edible Landscape,” on Tuesday April 16, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. This is the first of a series that includes four remote lectures and one in-person class. Registration for this series is available at nofanh.org/gardeningseries. The cost is $12 for each online class or $40 for all four. NOFA members will receive a 25 percent discount.

• Beer and yoga: Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Unit 4, Londonderry, pipedreambrewingnh.com, 404-0751) will host its monthly Flights and Flow yoga class on Sunday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to noon. The class costs $30. Attendees should show up at 10:30 a.m. for registration and to get settled in and should bring their own yoga mats and water. Flights of four Pipe Dream beers will be served at the end of class, just in time for lunch. RSVP by emailing Pipe Dream at [email protected].

Author: The Hippo Press

This Week 24/04/18

Quality of Life 24/04/18

New Hampshire is for the birds

News & Notes 24/04/18

Exploring pubs – 04/11/2024

The Weekly Dish 24/04/11

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!