Get ready for a bunch of talk about “craft” regarding the twisty suspense drama The Outfit starring that master craftsman Mark Rylance.
Transplanted Englishman Leonard Burling (Rylance) is a maker of bespoke suits in post-World War II (1950s-ish) Chicago, using heavy, ancient-looking shears, needle, thread and a precise eye to create perfect-fitting suits, a skill he learned on Savile Row, as he explains. His shop is simple, classic, peaceful and oh-so gentlemanly, with worn but polished wood furniture, a selection of impeccably folded pocket squares and a friendly assistant in Mable (Zoey Deutch). The shop, in its back room, also has a lockbox that men in hats with wide brims and overcoats that conceal gun holsters, men Leonard makes a point of mostly not looking at, drop off envelopes in. Of that group of regulars, the frequent customers include Richie (Dylan O’Brien), the son of the local mobster Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale), and Francis (Johnny Flynn), one of Roy’s top lieutenants. Francis and Richie have a bit of a rivalry — Francis being the more respected but Richie being Roy’s son and most likely successor. As we and Leonard learn, despite Mable’s oft-spoken desire to get out of Chicago and see the world, she is romantically entangled with Richie, the most of-the-neighborhood of guys. Though he doesn’t openly state his disapproval, Leonard’s fatherly affection for Mable has him wanting something better for her.
Late one night when only Leonard, whom the mobsters call “English,” is around, Francis and Richie show up looking for speedy entry to his shop. Richie is heavily bleeding from a gunshot wound to the gut and Francis is carrying a case that he explains everybody, cop and criminal, wants to get their hands on. Leonard wants nothing to do with any of this but Francis tells him tough luck, you’re involved.
The movie starts with Rylance’s character cutting a pattern and then cutting the fabric for a suit that he’s making and I could probably watch an entire movie just of Mark Rylance sewing a suit while explaining the craft of it. Though The Outfit quickly gives us a story and action, it has a similar exacting, deliberate feel of the precise construction of a well-made suit, every moment giving us exactly the necessary information, every scene doing what it needs to do with no threads out of place. Rylance is an absolute master at this kind of character, someone who is placid to the point of outward meekness and polite while always seeming like there is glass separating his true self from the outside world. Figuring out what that man is, really, is always at least as much of the story as the events of the movie and, like Leonard slowly, carefully, perfectly folding a bit of silk, the movie shows us each piece of his character exactly when we need it and in a way such that we always feel like we are watching a fully formed, multilayered person, even as we keep learning more about him. A
Rated R for some bloody violence, and language throughout, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Graham Moore and written by Johnathan McClain and Graham Moore, The Outfit is an hour and 45 minutes long and distributed by Focus Features. It is available via Peacock and for purchase.
Somersworth native Emmett Soldati found success in his hometown with Teatotaller, a cafe featuring everything from scratch-made sandwiches and salads to coffees, espresso drinks, house tea blends and more. Originally launching the concept in 2011, Soldati relocated a few blocks down the road to his current space on High Street in 2016 — now, he’s getting ready to expand the Teatotaller brand in the form of a second location, coming soon to downtown Concord.
On track to open later this month, Teatotaller’s newest spot is in the former Edible Arrangements storefront in the city’s Capital Plaza. The project, Soldati said, has actually been in the works since before the pandemic — from 2018 and into 2019, he had been looking for potential spots in various cities and towns when he was introduced to Concord property manager Steve Duprey.
Courtesy photo.
“I got to know Concord very well over that period of time, scoping out spots, and I definitely had an affinity for it,” Soldati said. “I like that it still has a small-town feel … but it’s certainly more bustling and vibrant than Somersworth, and I thought that the business would do really well.”
Soldati’s plan had been to open on Warren Street in early 2020, but Covid had other plans. The Edible Arrangements store closing in the interim gave him an opening to get onto Main Street.
Last month, Teatotaller’s distinguished pink paint went up outside, attracting significant attention and solidifying Soldati’s intentions to open the doors soon. The eatery’s menu will be similar to that of its predecessor — everything will be made in-house with fresh and local ingredients.
“There are aspects of it that will be distinct and unique because of the space … but our goal is to take the success of what is in Somersworth and bring it to Concord,” Soldati said. “I’m very proud of the menu. … I think just having more made-from-scratch things in Concord is exciting. We also sort of describe ourselves as a full-spectrum bakery and kitchen, which means we have a lot of vegan options, both vegan baked goods and savory items, and gluten-free options as well. We’ve had a lot of success accommodating different dietary palates and lifestyles.”
Teatotaller’s breakfast sandwiches, for instance, can be made on gluten-free breads or on the eatery’s own sourdough English muffins. There’s a build-your-own sandwich option in which you can choose everything from a baked egg or tofu frittata to bacon from North Country Smokehouse of Claremont, veggies and house aiolis with flavors like Dijon, chipotle and pesto.
Coffees are sourced from New Hampshire Coffee Co. out of Dover, which makes a custom Latin-American blend just for Teatotaller. There will be a variety of hot and iced drip coffees and espresso drinks, along with around a dozen of the cafe’s own flavored syrups. As for the teas, Soldati has his own brand called Chai Curious, featuring 10 house blends. In addition to being available in various hot and iced drinks, bagged teas will be sold at the shop and are sold online.
Teatotaller also has a few flavors of bubble tea, or homemade milk tea with tapioca pearls. During the pandemic, Soldati launched a bubble tea delivery company called Doorstep Boba, which is now available in multiple cities and towns, including those in and around Concord.
Eventually, Soldati said he hopes to begin holding regular events like drag shows, similar to those at the Somersworth cafe. He also has two mural artists designing the walls of the new space.
“This has been a long time coming and I’m kind of in a state of disbelief that it’s really happening,” he said. “I’m excited. … The thing I always like to remind people is that it’s meant to be a space for everyone. The public is going to come in and use the space in ways that I couldn’t have even thought of or planned … and so, Teatotaller in that sense is like an evolving brand. We’re sort of an open book of what’s going to happen next.”
Get two weekends of swords, ladies and lords, music and more at the NH Renaissance Faire
Knights, archers, jousters, pirates — you’ll find them all at the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, back in person and happening over the course of two weekends, May 14 and 15 and May 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
“We’re very excited,” said Marc Bernier, general manager and president of the Board of Directors for the Renaissance Faire. “There have been a lot of changes because of Covid, and it’s been a lot of work. … Some of our acts and vendors have had to shut their doors either because of their health or [for financial reasons] … [but] we have a number of new acts.”
There are also new food vendors and new interactive activities for kids, including ax and knife throwing. And the whole fair has moved across the street to a bigger field.
“People will be parking in the same parking lot but just walk in the other direction,” Bernier said.
Traditional favorites will be back, including archery demos and practice shooting with the Junior Olympic archery division, as well as the Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword and the jousting demos.
Bernier said about 30 percent of the people who attend dress in full Renaissance “garb,” which is what they call costumes, and about 20 percent come in partial garb.
“A lot of people will build their costumes as they go to fairs, so they might start with a tunic and then add a cloak [at the next fair] and then add footwear,” he said.
Each day of the fair has a theme, and visitors are encouraged to dress up based on the day’s theme: There’s Wizards and Fairies Day the first Saturday, and Heritage Day the first Sunday, then Pirates and Barbarians Day the second Saturday, and the last day is Literature, TV and Movies.
“Ren faires have probably gotten a little bit of an odd or bad rap — a bunch of nerdy kids running around in costumes,” Bernier said. “But thousands of people come in [and are able to] let their inner nerd out a little bit, because everyone is doing it.”
The Hippo reached out to some of this year’s entertainers, who shared via email their techniques for getting into character, their favorite part of the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire and more.
Marc Bernier as MasterMarcus Bowyer, archer
Bernier is also the general manager and president of the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire.
Marc Bernier. Photo by Triple-G Photography.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
I am the general manager of the Faire and I have been involved in ren faires for over 20 years in one capacity or another. I have worked in nearly every aspect of Faire except food service.
What’s your process for getting into character?
I play a variety of characters. The process depends on which, but most of them are primarily based on the garb (costume) the character wears.
What do you do to psych yourself up for performances?
I don’t generally have to. I slide right into the role.
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
This also relates to the character. I try to fit the theme for the day unless I have a specific role. I like being available for pictures with people and improvised interacting.
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
The charity donation we raise is my reason for putting in the work.
J.D. Lauriat as pirate Avery Meritt
Lauriat is the Village Cast Director and Combat Director for New Hampshire Renaissance Faire and one of the members of the musical act The Penniless Jacks.
J.D. Lauriat. Photo by Triple-G Photography.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
Well, I have been working/performing at various renaissance faires since 2006. I started out as part of a village cast that focused on patron interaction and mixed in a bit of singing and sword fighting. Fast forward to today and I’ve been director at a few events, I’ve been part of several stage shows and performances, and [I have] traveled throughout New England doing everything from acting to fight performance to music shows to directing cast to teaching stage combat.
What’s your process for getting into character?
It ultimately depends on the character that I am playing, but I always tell my cast, especially those who are new to this, to use a piece of your costume as a sort of catalyst for getting into character. It could be your hat, or a doublet, or even something mundane like a pin or brooch that you wear. I’ve played several very different characters over the years, from Pirate to Grave Digger to Nobility. This year, I am simply the owner of a local tavern. For me, it’s often the hat. The main process for getting ready, for me, is to silently role-play or act out a scene that my character might be in. It’s often a variation of the same scene each time, but it’s something that really encompasses the mindset and characteristics of the person I’m going to be playing for the day.
What do you do to psych yourself up for performances?
As I mentioned, I will often play out a scene that the character could be in, but that doesn’t work for all situations. Some shows, when I’m just performing with The Penniless Jacks, don’t lend themselves well to being a character because we spend so much time on stage. So the start of the day is typically a bit of panic with a dash of fear. I’ve been doing this for over 15 years and a stage show still terrifies me, and I suspect it always will. I had a wonderful director years ago tell me that it’s a good sign to have a bit of fear before a show, because it means you care.
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
My character, Avery Meritt, brings a sense of protection to the rest of the village. Many of the locals are unaware of his past, but they know he isn’t to be trifled with. Still, he runs the local tavern and inn, and keeps the doors open as a sort of hospitality house for his neighbors. For the patrons attending the faire, he brings a warm welcome, a bit of conversation, and music to remember.
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
Honestly, aside from the fact that it’s a charity event, I would say the music. Throughout the years, I have seen so many amazing musicians and acts pass through, and many of them have become good friends. I love that it’s a rare moment that you don’t hear wonderful songs echoing throughout the grounds.
Ilkka Eskelinen as Lord Sheriff Alistair Fynne
Eskelinen performs with the Shimmynanigans, belly dancers at the Faire.
Ilkka Eskelinen. Courtesy photo.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
My regular day-to-day work is as a job superintendent for a commercial construction company, as well as the safety officer and equipment trainer. I’m 52, born in Fitchburg, Mass. I have been a performer since 2010, originally as a villager. I sang shanties with a pirate crew for a few years. I also perform as a Viking, and recently had the honor to lead a service for a Viking-style funeral.
What’s your process for getting into character?
My process for getting into character: It all starts as soon as I wake on the day of faire. Getting my gear together for the day, sorting through and choosing what particular accouterments I’ll wear that day. While my costume stays fairly constant, I’ll adjust my outfit based on the temperature and weather outlook. My mindset, I go through a mental checklist of what’s lined up for the day, meet up with my fellow castmates and confirm everything is set. If doing stage combat, doing a few dry runs to make sure my partner and I have things in order.
What do you do to psych yourself up for performances?
I remind myself of some of my favorite memories from previous faires. One story in particular stands out, and I’ll try to keep it brief but I’d like to share it so you have the mental picture. Around 10 years ago, I spent some time chatting with a woman at faire, and was about to head off to a show. I asked for her hand, kissed it gently, and wished her a good day. She started crying! I asked what was amiss, and she told me (paraphrase) that no man ever pays her as much attention as I did that day. I still remember what I said to her (paraphrased of course): “Miss, you are very lucky! You have avoided being stuck with some idiot who doesn’t appreciate you! You are now free for an intelligent man to see you for who you really are, and be who you deserve.” I saw her again the following year at faire, and I didn’t recognize her at first. She had lost a lot of weight, changed her style, and introduced me to her boyfriend of several months. How wonderful is that?! The thought of making someone’s day even a little brighter, bringing a smile, a laugh, a shared moment — it brings me back year after year.
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
I am a wandering performer. I travel around the site, greeting people, engaging in conversations, perhaps joining a wandering singing group to sing a song. … This year we are introducing stage combat, and I will be doing a fight with one of the villagers. I love to make folk laugh. We never know what kind of day someone is having when they set foot onto the faire site. If I can bring a smile, a laugh, and give them a pleasant memory to take away from the day, it is all worth it.
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
Aside from my wanderings, my favorites are watching full-contact fighting in armor, such as The Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword, or listening to the various singing groups and their stage performances, like The Penniless Jacks, The King’s Busketeers, and Myschyffe Managed.
Brian Caton as Sir Brian de Caton, Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword
Caton formed the historical reenactment group at the Faire that demonstrates combat.
Photo courtesy of Brian Caton.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
Well, I started in the ren faire scene roughly about 26 years ago as a merchant but joined a reenactment group that performed at the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire in 2007. In 2015, several educators in the group and I formed the Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword.
Our primary focus is educational reenactment of the medieval time period. Our goal is to show the difference between real history and Hollywood. We present at ren faires and schools throughout New England. At faire we will set up a hands-on medieval encampment where patrons can come in and see people performing period chores and also try on armor and weapons.
We also perform several types of presentations. One being our weapons presentation/life on the battlefield presentation. Another, and our most popular, is our fully armored, full steel fight show where we demonstrate fighting styles of the time period and modern-day tournament fighting in full-speed, full-contact combat.
What’s your process for getting into character?
My character, Sir Brian de Catton, portrays a knight from 1475 Yorkshire England. My armor and garb are all patterned off examples from the time period and are all handmade. At NHRF, I am also the Queen’s Champion.
What do you do to psych yourself up for performances?
I’d say that I start psyching up for the faire or getting into character by putting the garb on in the morning and our fighters, myself included, start psyching up for the fight show with the process of putting the armor on. Which can be a pretty involved process.
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
My favorite part of a faire is experiencing the crowds and especially the children when they see our fighters in armor and when they themselves get to try the armor. The making of memories is very important to us.
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
At NHRF, my favorite part is the Faire family that has come together to put on the charity event. From performers, merchants to volunteers and staff. There is a real sense of family at the event.
Danny Scialdone as Lord Aspergillius Gleekman
Scialdone is also the entertainment director of the Faire.
Photo courtesy of Danny Scialdone.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
I have been performing as a variety of characters at renaissance faires for 15 years now and found my way to NHRF in 2011 as their first official court jester, Aspergillius Gleekman, joining the rank of the royal court. In 2012, I took on the role of entertainment director for NHRF as well as Treasury Senior Officer for the Three Maples Renaissance Corp (a 501(c)3 charity organization). As for my character, Aspergillius is an energetic, spontaneous silly man that tends to do just the thing you don’t expect him to … he likes to keep people on their toes. A trusted advisor to Queen Catherine and a compassionate soul that ensures that there is a smile on everyone’s faces.
What’s your process for getting into character?
Put on my garb, simple as that. Aspergillius is really just my own everyday goofball personality, which makes it very easy for me to get into character … put on my costume (or “garb” as we call it), flip the switch, and off I go … 40 jingle bells and all!
What do you do to psych yourself up for performances?
Honestly, nothing really. Just like I said, flip the switch.
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
Happiness, smiles and laughter
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
That is a tough one, there are so many … if I had to pick one, I would say the interaction with patrons, especially the kids. Kids really soak up the whole renaissance faire experience like no other, you can actually see the magic in their eyes and smiles. The best ones, though, are those that are only at the faire because they got “dragged along” by friends or family. When they come through the gate they arrive with an obvious disinterest, but by the end of the day, they end up having the time of their life and can’t wait to come back!
Brian Weiland of the Misfits of Avalon
The Misfits of Avalon will perform the second weekend of the Faire.
Photo courtesy of Brian Weiland.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
My group is called the Misfits of Avalon, and we are a Celtic music act based in Massachusetts. Since our founding in 2009 we have at one time or another performed at pretty much every renaissance faire in New England, including performing at the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire every year since 2011. The core of the group is two lifelong best friends — myself on the hammered dulcimer and mandolin, and Max Cohen on guitar and vocals. All three of my children have also performed in the group over the years, and currently my youngest son, Aiden, is our fiddler. When I am not at faire I am a public school music teacher, and Max is a full-time professional musician.
What’s your process for getting into character?
Our characters are basically street musicians, which in renaissance terms means that we are definitely among the lower-class inhabitants of the realm! We therefore mostly wear simple peasant garb, though when we want to look a little fancier we sometimes wear full kilts. My mindset as a renaissance musician is actually not dissimilar to my mindset as a modern musician: I am there to hopefully gladden the hearts of all who hear me, from the humblest peasant to the queen herself!
What does your character/act bring to the ren faire?
Hopefully what the Misfits of Avalon brings to the faire is a little bit of beauty, a little bit of history, and maybe even a little bit of magic. I have for my entire life believed that music is a form of magic, and we do our best to cast good spells! We play several stage shows each day, but we actually spend the majority of our time — pretty much every moment when we are not on stage — busking around the fairgrounds, so that as visitors wander around throughout the day, the delicate ethereal tones of the hammered dulcimer playing beautiful Celtic melodies transports all within the realm back to a more mystical and beautiful time and place!
Aside from your own act, what’s your favorite part of the faire?
My favorite part of faire is the friendships and camaraderie. The people who work at ren faires are some of the most wonderful creative talented quirky people I know. We all have our own mundane lives and jobs and burdens, and we all live in this great big complex world, but we have all chosen to invest a pretty serious amount of time, effort, preparation and money in order to occasionally get together and create this little alternate world whose entire function is to share and inspire joy. I love being part of a community that does that!
New Hampshire Renaissance Faire
When: Saturdays and Sundays, May 14 and 15, and May 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Where: 80 Martin Road, Fremont
Cost: Adults $18; kids over 4 $12 and kids 4 and under get in free. Tickets available at nhrenfaire.com or at the faire, and proceeds support the New Hampshire Food Bank and Rockingham Meals on Wheels.
Event is held rain or shine; check nhrenfaire.com in case of extreme weather.
Activities
Information according to the schedule at nhrenfaire.com.
Children’s Glen: Games, crafts and fun activities for the kiddies! Let them test their coordination on Jacob’s Ladder.
Archery Range: Archery at the Three Maples run by JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development). Free to play, but donations to JOAD are encouraged!
Craft Demonstrations: Many merchants will be demonstrating their craft at their booths, such as weaving, leather work and jewelry making.
Encampment Demonstrations: Visit the knights from the Brotherhood of the Arrow & Sword in the backfield and check out their camp, armor and weapons. Or visit our pirates and gypsies and see what trouble they’re up to!
Charity Wench & Lad Auction: Bid on goods donated from vendors and modeled by strapping lads and lovely wenches.
Bellydance Lesson: Learn to bellydance with the Shimmynanigans.
Entertainment
See performance schedule and map atnhrenfaire.com.
B.O.N.E.S. – New England Pirate Guild sings songs of the sea
Brother Sylvan – Poetry and readings from the traveled wandering bard
Duchess of Yorkshire Pudding – Whimsical tales, stories and songs of the heartwarming Duchess of Yorkshire Pudding
Gibbon The Troubadour – The minstrel plays a wide array of Irish-Celtic, nautical and folk songs
Guy Todd, Wandering Harpist – Enchanting music that will take you to another place and time
IJA – A group of jousters from all over brings the thrill of the “Game of Kings”
Medieval Music Jam – All of the faire’s talented musicians and musical performers come together for one big musical performance
Michael OJ Magician – Magic and illusions
Phoenix Swords – Medieval performance troupe demonstrates sword and weapon combat, fire breathing and flame handling
Primrose Pirates – Sword fighting and live black powder
Shimmynanigans – Bellydancing gypsies
Sir Timothy the Enchanter – The first-ever bullwhip act at the faire
The Brotherhood of the Arrow & Sword –Historical reenactment group demonstrates fully armored live steel combat
The Corr Thieves – Action and humor-filled show
The Dirge Queen – A musical queen
The Foxy Bard – PG13 – Roving bard playing folk-rock, Celtic rock and medieval songs
The Harlot Queens – PG13 – Acapella singing queens
The Harper and The Minstrel – May 14 & 15 only – Historically inspired performances of Medieval, Renaissance and Celtic Music
The King’s Busketeers – Band of musical bards with Irish pub songs, shanties and more
The Longshanks: Stilt Walkers & Storytellers – A storytelling duo wandering about the shire on stilts
TheMisfits of Avalon – May 21 & 22 only – Duo of minstrels playing contemporary and traditional Celtic songs on the harp, guitar and hand dulcimer
ThePenniless Jacks – Old-style pub music trio singing shanties and rousing rebel songs
The Pillage Idiots – Silly stories, songs and tales from a crew of comedic pirates
The Shank Painters – May 21 & 22 only – Sea-shanty singing trio
Two and a Halfwits – Improv comedy group
Queen’s Tea – Bring the wee ones for lemonade and cookies with the Queen herself
Featured photo: J.D. Lauriat, left, and Andy Prete, right, of the Penniless Jacks. Courtesy photo.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
State health officials reported 267 new cases of Covid-19 on May 9. The state averaged 516 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 31 percent increase from the week before. As of May 9 there were 20 hospitalizations statewide.
Homelessness report
Last week, the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness released its annual report on the State of Homelessness in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the report shows that the number of unsheltered homeless people more than doubled across the state from 2020 to 2021, with 4,682 total unduplicated individuals and people in families experiencing homelessness in the 2021 calendar year – “likely because of the pandemic’s impact over the two fiscal years.” There were some successes, like 17 percent less family homelessness, “likely due to the comprehensive homeless prevention programs implemented utilizing the significant infusion of federal Covid-19 resources in NH.” The report was compiled using data from state and federal sources, including the Homeless Management Information System and the State of New Hampshire Official Point-In-Time Count (conducted on Jan. 23, 2021, the Point-in-Time Count identified 1,491 people, including children, who were homeless during a 24-hour timeframe). “It is important to understand the underlying impact that the pandemic has had on people experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire. This knowledge, along with this report’s clear picture of who the homeless population is in our state, lends itself to identifying where our energy should be placed — what policy changes, funding investments, and program recommendations should be considered,” Stephanie Savard, Director of the NHCEH, said in the release. Meanwhile, a new study from NHCEH and the University of NH School of Social Work is currently underway exploring the perceptions and experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Color who currently or formerly experienced homelessness in a predominantly white rural state, the release said.
DHHS website
The decade-old New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services website has been redesigned with new and enhanced customer-centric features so visitors can more easily find the information they need. According to a press release, the dhhs.nh.gov address will remain the same, but there will be new site features like an easy-to-use search function with tags and categories, and a “How Can I Help You” box prominently displayed on the homepage, with a list of most requested topics. Dropdown menus feature popular programs and services, and new sections include Apply for Assistance, Doing Business with DHHS, and Reports, Regulations & Statistics. Enhanced accessibility options include the ability to change text size, make the cursor larger and change the contrast, text spacing and font, and the site can be translated into any language supported by Google Translate. The first DHHS logo was created as part of the website redesign and shows a person surrounded by the supports and services the department provides.
AED awareness
The New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Emergency Services and Communications has partnered with PulsePoint to improve and update the state’s AED registry. According to a press release, an automated external defibrillator, which delivers an electric shock to the heart, can be deployed by anyone and can help keep a heart attack victim alive until treatment arrives. In 2012, the state established an AED registry and further required the registration of all AEDs in the state, in part to identify fixed-location AEDs based on associated telephone numbers for inclusion in the Enhanced 9-1-1 system’s database. But nearly 80 percent of all calls to 9-1-1 now come from cell phones, and those callers need to be directed to an AED associated with their location. With PulsePoint, registered AEDs can be displayed on a map visible to telecommunicators taking 9-1-1 calls, so they can get the caller to a nearby AED, and PulsePoint’s data integrates with software that guides telecommunicators by providing medical instructions that can be relayed to the caller. Anyone deploying an AED in New Hampshire is required by law to register it with the Division of Emergency Services and Communications.
Road project meeting
A public Alternatives Meeting about intersection improvements at South Willow Street and Weston Road in Manchester will be held Wednesday, May 18, at 6 p.m. at the Department of Public Works at 475 Valley St., Manchester. According to a press release, HDR Inc., the city’s consultant, will discuss the project’s purpose and recommended improvements. The main purpose of the meeting is to present the identified alternatives, the pros and cons of each, and a detailed narrative of why the proposed action best meets the project’s purpose. Comments will be collected on the project’s objectives, proposed design alternatives and recommended action for the intersection improvements.
The Honorable Jane E. Young was sworn in on May 2 as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. According to a press release, Chief U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty administered the oath of office at the federal courthouse in Concord. Young served as the Deputy Attorney General for the New Hampshire Department of Justice from 2018 to 2022 and has held various leadership positions in the office since she joined in 1992, the release said.
The First Parish Church in East Derry will be selling military flags and patriotic flowers the weekends of May 21 and May 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by the church parking lot at 47 E. Derry Road. According to a press release, all donations will go toward the rehabilitation of the 275-year-old building.
Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School in Nashua has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation, which will go toward books for classrooms and students as well as author visits and other special literacy-based events that encourage reading for knowledge and pleasure. According to a press release, the grant is awarded to elementary and middle schools serving pre-K through grade 6 that have demonstrated a commitment to literacy and creative ideas for celebrating reading and writing.
2020 marked 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, assuring women the right to vote. New Hampshire organizations had planned events from parades to readers’ theater, from tea parties to lectures about the individuals who fought for equal rights. Instead of learning and celebrating, we spent 2020 ducking Covid. Despite #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, too many ignored how civil rights were being attacked.
Shout out to two state historians who kept going with their research about the fight for women’s suffrage: Elizabeth Dubrulle and Beth Salerno. Their work, published in the magazine of the New Hampshire Historical Society, is inspiring. The lessons in “No Longer Denied: New Hampshire Women and the Right to Vote” should be taught in every school. Their credentials illustrate the painstaking work that goes into the writing of history. Politicians and activists get the headlines, but historians provide the context.
Elizabeth Dubrulle, director of education and public programs for the Historical Society and editor of its magazine, is a down-to-earth dynamo. She earned a master’s from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with emphases in early New England history and historical editing. She was the associate editor for the Colonial Society of Massachusetts’ edition of the Correspondence of Thomas Hutchinson and provided editorial support for the Writings of Henry D. Thoreau. She also wrote Goffstown Reborn: Transformations of a New England Town (2009). Sen. David Watters, UNH professor emeritus and co-editor of The Encyclopedia of New England, told me he considered her town history one of the best.
Beth Salerno is a professor of American history at Saint Anselm College, where she focuses on women’s history, the history of citizenship and public history. She earned her doctorate in American and comparative women’s history at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. As chair of New Hampshire Humanities’ grants committee, she came across as both gentle and modest, articulate and fierce. Her book, Sister Societies: Women’s Antislavery Organizations in Antebellum America (2005), documented the emerging networks among women reformers. Her preface, co-written with Dubrulle, and article ‘“A Woman in Politics!”’ set the stage and the bar for the rest of the publication.
Did you know that New Hampshire ratified the 19th amendment in 1919 but shot down a similar amendment to the state constitution two years later? If the 19th Amendment hadn’t become law in between, New Hampshire women would have been left out. This week’s news of the Supreme Court’s inclination to strike down Roe v. Wade shows how fragile women’s rights still are. We would know that if we paid attention to history.
On its latest EP, Glass House, Crooked Coast turns in a heavier direction. Songs like “Hell in a Handbasket” and the title cut are as edgy and gray-limned as 2017’s reggae romp “Go Slow” was buoyant and bright. Some of the shift came with urging from producer Courtney Ballard (Good Charlotte, All Time Low), but much of it reflected the challenge of making music in a pandemic.
“There was so much uncertainty; it was just a crazy time to be in the studio writing with everything going on,” guitarist, singer and lyricist Luke Vose said by phone from his home in Falmouth, Mass. “It wasn’t a conscious decision. We just kind of followed the sound that was exciting us.”
Vose, along with co-guitar player and vocalist John McNamara, bassist Ben Elder and drummer Shaqed Druyan, worked hard to maintain the momentum of a band that had sold out their first hometown CoastFest in 2019 and had big plans for the following year before it was cut short. They played a series of shows in fans’ yards on a flatbed truck, and on the water for a Fourth of July concert, which was filmed for a documentary.
“Your limits were your imagination, because nothing traditional was happening,” Vose said. “So it was like, what can we do that’s totally out of left field? That was something we came up with, and it was super fun. We didn’t announce it or anything, we just popped up there for anyone who was in the area, in kayaks or on the shore.”
As with many independent bands, the music is only the beginning with Crooked Coast; branding and building buzz are vital, and their job. Uniquely, they also run their own retail store, an effort born of necessity when Vose needed to convert a second bedroom he used as a merch warehouse into a nursery. Fortuitously, a rental car agency had vacated the floor below their rehearsal space, and the price was right.
The shop has become a community hub.
“When we’re in town on the weekends, we open it up, we do special events, art shows; we did a book signing,” Vose said. It’s also a tourist attraction. “We have people come from out of town to visit the Cape, and now it’s like a part of their trip.”
On his own, Vose boosts the regional scene by writing about it in a column for the Falmouth Enterprise called “Listening Local.” When he took it over in the mid-2010s, Vose wasn’t a journalist.
“It definitely was a learning curve, but I wound up really enjoying it,” he said. “I really liked hearing other musicians’ stories, and every time I talked to someone I got a new perspective on something in life.”
Crooked Coast is expanding Glass House into a long-player they hope to release later this year. A single will drop in May.
“We’re doing what we can to line up business-wise and get the best splash the album can make,” Vose said, noting that the harder mood continues on it, “but there’s some more poppy stuff, and our bass player actually sings lead on a song that he wrote, which is awesome.”
If plans play out, the new record will coincide with Crooked Coast’s Memorial Day set at Boston Calling, where they’ll share the stage with Metallica, Weezer, Glass Animals and several other acts. In August they’ll appear at the three-day Beach Road Weekend festival on Martha’s Vineyard. The event includes national headliners like Wilco, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, The Avett Brothers, Guster, Dawes — and one that Vose is particularly excited about.
“I grew up a big fan of Beck, so that’s a little surreal … me as a young kid would have been very impressed to hear some day you’re going to play on the same stage as him,” he said. “We’ve been working on the Vineyard for quite some years now, building a following. To see our name on that poster is pretty awesome.”
Crooked Coast When: Friday, May 6, at 9 p.m. Where: Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester Tickets: $10 at the door;crookedcoast.com
