Category: Featured Content

News & Notes 23/12/21

College for first responders

The New Hampshire Department of Safety has launched a new First Responder program in collaboration with the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH), the Police Standards and Training Council and Sen. David Watters. According to a press release, this initiative aims to enhance the career development, recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, professional firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Eligible first responders can receive tuition and fee reimbursements for courses at any of New Hampshire’s community colleges, subject to funding availability and successful course completion. The program underscores the state’s commitment to maintaining a skilled first responder workforce and is supported by funding from New Hampshire Senate Bill 153, sponsored by Sen. Watters.

School projects

The Public School Infrastructure Commission in New Hampshire has recommended funding for 262 school security projects across the state, totaling $9,668,202.68. According to a press release, this recommendation is part of the third round of the Security Action for Education (SAFE) grants program, which received 630 applications. The grants, aimed at enhancing school security measures such as access control and surveillance, await approval by the governor, the Executive Council and the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee, expected in early 2024. Previously, the SAFE grants program had allocated about $13.9 million to 341 schools, with priority given in the latest round to those schools that had not received funding in earlier rounds.

Insurance ed

The New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) and New England College (NEC) are continuing their educational collaboration with the launch of the second year of a specialized insurance industry course. According to a press release, this course, starting in the Spring 2024 semester, aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of various aspects of the insurance sector, including risk identification, management techniques, the logic behind insurance purchases and regulatory oversight by the NHID. The course, which offers four academic credits, also includes the possibility of an internship for additional credits. Experienced professionals from the NHID will lead the course, sharing their knowledge from both public and private sectors in insurance. Completion of the course and internship may even allow students to waive the insurance licensing exam, akin to the Webster Scholar Program at UNH Law.

Charter schools

According to a report by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, New Hampshire’s public charter school enrollment saw an increase of 11.99 percent, or 592 students, during the 2022-2023 school year. This growth contrasts with the overall trend in public school enrollments nationally, where public charter schools experienced a 2 percent increase (more than 72,000 students) from the 2021-2022 to the 2022-2023 school year, while district public schools saw a marginal increase of 0.02 percent (7,400 students). Over the past four years, public charter schools nationally have added more than 300,000 students, a 9 percent rise, whereas district public schools have not regained the approximately 1.5 million students lost during the pandemic, a 3.5 percent decrease. In New Hampshire charter schools have grown by 30.79 percent in the last three years, with the Academy for Science and Design in Nashua recording the largest enrollment increase, of 97 students for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Health news

Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, a Dartmouth Health member, has introduced continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for intensive care unit patients experiencing kidney failure, according to a press release. With the acquisition of two CRRT machines and the ICU staff trained in their use, the hospital can now treat more critically ill patients locally. The CRRT treatment offers a 24-hour dialysis process, crucial for patients with acute kidney injury, which is associated with a high mortality rate. This new capability allows patients to stay close to their community during recovery, a significant change from when patients needed to be transferred to other facilities. Cheshire’s ICU also benefits from Dartmouth Health’s TeleICU service, providing around-the-clock care in collaboration with remote nephrologists. The program has been operational since early August, contributing to life-saving treatments and, in one case, facilitating organ donations from a patient.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has implemented nighttime lane closures on Interstate 93 northbound in Derry/Londonderry, expected to be in effect through the morning of Friday, Dec. 22, according to a press release. During this period, northbound traffic will be rerouted through newly constructed ramps, returning to I-93. The closures, affecting the stretch from mile marker 11 to 13, will reduce traffic to one lane near mile marker 12. These closures are for setting steel girders on the new Exit 4A bridge, part of a larger $45 million interchange construction project.

Manchester’s Bookmobile program has reached a milestone of distributing 20,000 books to children. According to a press release, the Bookmobile, reintroduced in 2018 and operational through the pandemic, aims to improve child literacy and ensure book access for all ages. The program is supported by staff from Manchester City Library and the Manchester School District, as well as community volunteers.

Nashua nonprofit Harbor Care received a $5,000 grant from BAE Systems, a global defense, aerospace and security company, to assist in ending homelessness among veterans in the state. According to a press release, this funding will support essential services for homeless veterans, including access to shelter and food. Harbor Care, serving more than 450 veterans and their families annually, has contributed to ending veteran homelessness in Nashua since 2017 and is working toward replicating this success across New Hampshire.

Stealth band

Beyond a cappella with Naturally 7

Close your eyes is the advice Roger Thomas gives fans seeing his group Naturally 7 for the first time. Because even though there are only seven singers on stage, their sound always causes listeners to wonder: where’s the band? Along with lush harmonies, a guitar, keyboards, bass and drums are in the mix. The trick — the miracle really — is it’s vocal only, group members mimicking instruments while others sing lyrics.

Technically, it’s a cappella — music that’s all voice and no instrumentation — but it’s so different that Thomas, who founded Naturally 7 in 1999, decided a new name was needed.

“We coined the phrase ‘vocal play,’” he said by phone recently. “To let people know it’s something else.”

Called Seven until a Southern act with a copyright forced them to change the name, N7 was an all-singing group at the outset. Fate intervened, however, in the form of a chance meeting with a music superstar.

“We were in a bookstore, and the owner said, ‘Hey, Stevie Wonder’s here, I want you guys to sing for him,” Thomas recalled. Wonder seemed to enjoy their version “Amazing Grace” but at the end “he was like, ‘I know who your favorite group is’ — and that’s how he left.”

Thomas quickly deduced Wonder wasn’t paying them a compliment.

“He was saying that we sound just like Take 6, and he knows they’re our favorite group,” he said. “From that point on — this was just before we formed N7 — I was like, ‘We’ve got to find a way to make it something of our own.’”

Later, on a long car trip, Thomas’s wife and mother-in-law grew tired of his a cappella cassettes, except Swedish quintet The Real Group’s song, which included eerily lifelike vocalized instruments. “They both said, ‘That can stay in … it’s not a cappella.’ I was like, that’s it! We’re going to be the first on the planet to imitate instruments as the mainstay of the group. Not just a little piece of a show like so many people do, but all seven of us have to figure out what instrument best suits us.”

N7’s unique brand of vocal play has carried them across the globe and led to a lot of memorable collaborations. A management connection resulted in a tour with Michael Bublé, who wanted an opener that wouldn’t add any equipment to an already crowded stage. “He was thinking it would probably be good to have an a cappella group,” Thomas said. “We were supposed to do one leg … we ended up doing three world tours and won three Grammys with him. That was eight years of our lives.”

Coldplay’s Chris Martin once watched them in London and invited them to hang out in his London studio. “They were singing one of our songs, ‘Wall of Sound,’” he recalled. To return the compliment, N7 learned “Fix You” a few months later. “It seems like the obvious one to do, but we’ve got to do it, man. It’s just the power in that song has everything to do with what we do.”

Their upcoming show at Tupelo Music Hall will mix Naturally 7 at the Movies, with selections like “Axel’s Theme” from Beverly Hills Cop, “Jailhouse Rock,” “Shaft” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” along with Christmas songs both standard and original — “Satisfaction Guaranteed” shines among the latter. As always, they’ll do “Fix You,” which has become de rigueur.

“People get upset if we don’t do it; it’s part of who we are,” Thomas said. “We want to leave people with something that’s uplifting, even more so than just the circus part of our voices and the vocal play. We love when people give us credit [for doing] this vocally, but there’s nothing like people saying the music touched them for a lifetime…. ‘Fix You’ is that type of song.”

Thomas set out looking for a distinct sound.

“I want someone to know it’s Naturally 7 within the first couple of bars, like it is for Earth Wind and Fire, the Temptations, Bee Gees or Beatles,” he said. “That’s how you know you’ve created something special.

It was a big lift, and at the start success wasn’t certain.

“You don’t know for sure that you can accomplish this, but you’re going to try, and we were able to do it,” Thomas said. “It’s definitely a dream come true to go around the world now. Because the goal was to get out on the stage and have everyone not believe it. That’s the key mark … get to the point where people say, ‘I don’t believe it.’”

Featured photo: Behind the Seams: My Life in Rinestones by Dolly Parton

Leave the World Behind (R)

An uptight middle-aged lady takes her Brooklyn family on a weekend trip to a beautiful country house on Long Island in Leave the World Behind, a dark, laugh-out-loud psychological horror.

The movie very self-consciously introduces us to marketing executive Amanda Sanford (Julia Roberts) and her roiling uptightness and anger by having her happily pack for a spur-of-the-moment family road trip as she explains to her college professor husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) that she spent the morning thinking about how much she hates people — and there was another, emphasis-adding word in there before “hates.” She’s rented a house for the family — which also includes teen son Archie (Charlie Evans) and just-turned-13 daughter Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) — in a hamlet called Pointe Comfort. The drive turns rural enough that Rose loses internet on the iPad where she’s binging Friends but the house is a design dream, with a large kitchen and a lovely pool. Amanda smiles sunnily as she meanders through the tasteful, dreamy master bedroom and has the same look of contentment as she loads purchases from the cute grocery market into her car, her mood only slightly darkening as she sees a local (Kevin Bacon) load up his truck with canned foods and water bottles. But all is well as the family lies out on the beach, enjoying the post-season sparse crowd and the sun and the view of the water where a large tanker ship seems strangely close. Doesn’t that seem close, Rose tries to say to her family several times but is ignored until Amanda, looking up from a snooze, is all, hey that’s really close and it’s not stopping. The family grabs their bags and rushes away just as the large ship runs aground up onto the beach.

Once they’re home, they find the internet is out and their phones don’t have service but everything basically seems normal and the kids jump into the pool while the parents make dinner. Later, Amanda and Clay are playing Jenga and enjoying wine when there is a knock at the door. G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali), decked in a tuxedo, and his 20-something daughter Ruth (Myha’la), dressed in an evening gown, are at the door. G.H. graciously apologizes and calls Amanda by name when he introduces himself as the man she emailed with when she rented the house. This house is his house and they, G.H. and Ruth, have driven out to stay the night. The night or maybe longer — there’s a blackout in the city and he can’t walk the 14 floors up to his city apartment. With all the traffic and chaos, he doesn’t want to go back to the city and even offers to refund Amanda her money, unlocking a drawer and handing her cash, so that he and Ruth can stay in the in-law apartment in the home’s basement. Amanda is, er, the most printable description is probably “a brittle jerk” about this request and doesn’t entirely believe G.H.’s claims to own the house. Ruth finds her father’s extreme politeness to this snotty lady and her family excessive, especially since they are asking to stay in the basement of their own home. Eventually, though, everybody goes to bed with a general idea that they’ll make sense of things in the morning.

“Making sense” is not a task easily accomplished. After a vague emergency alert, the TV offers nothing but fuzz. No phones, no internet. Clay’s attempt to drive into town is disastrous without GPS. Rose keeps seeing weird animal-related things. But at least Archie seems pretty happy when Ruth comes down to the pool in her bikini.

Ruth and Amanda’s instant dislike of each other, Clay’s clumsy attempts at being useful and friendly, the kids’ them-focused problems (Archie wonders if he can visit his girlfriend vacationing an hour away, Rose just really wants to see the last episode of Friends), G.H.’s fears about what’s happening, Amanda’s whole personality — it’s all really well-executed in this movie that shoots even scenes of banal upper-middle-class-ness with theatrical dread. The characters are spikey but also get some humanity to them. They are helpful to each other but they also make things a little worse at all times with the information they don’t share. Amanda and G.H. seem to take turns condescendingly telling each other that things are going to be fine or that something is totally normal when neither particularly believes it themselves. And throughout there is a sense that one of the most fraught elements of whatever is happening may be the miscalculations and conclusions jumped to by these reluctant housemates about each other, with both Amanda and Ruth just wanting the other’s family to leave already.

Also, Leave the World Behind is funny — bleakly, sorta meanly funny, but funny. I found myself laughing out loud frequently (and in that vein, it has a pretty great final note) and just sort of enjoying the way the movie frequently seems to be tickled with itself. A

Rated R for language, some sexual content, drug use and brief bloody images, according to the MPA at filmratings.com. Directed by Sam Esmail (who also wrote the screenplay, based on the book of the same name by Rumaan Alam), Leave the World Behind is two hours and 18 minutes long and is streaming on Netflix.

May December (R)

An actress attempts to get into the head of a woman she’ll be portraying in a movie in May December, a well-acted disturbing drama from director Todd Haynes.

Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) is a famous enough actress that people get wide-eyed when she passes by and will fan-out about her previous work. Her upcoming movie is a sort of indie production looking at a scandal from the 1990s involving Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), who was then in her mid 30s. As Gracie tells it, she was married and working at a pet shop when she had a passionate affair with a coworker that led to the end of her marriage to her husband at the time with whom she had three children. Another way to describe that “affair” would be felony child sexual assault, as Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), the boy she was caught with, was 13 years old.

Gracie went to jail, where she gave birth to their first child, Honor (Piper Curda), now a college student. Gracie and Joe eventually married and also had twins, Mary (Elizabeth Yu) and Charlie (Gabriel Chung), who are, as the movie starts, days away from their high school graduation. Gracie and Joe, who is now in his mid 30s, live in Savannah, the town they’ve always lived in. So they have a support system of family and a small group of friends who buy Gracie’s home-produced baked goods but also Gracie occasionally receives boxes of poo in the mail.

Elizabeth shows up to kind of shadow Gracie — to convey the truth of Gracie and Gracie and Joe’s relationship, as she tells everyone. Gracie might have her reservations but also seems to like the idea that she’ll have some control over the revisiting of her infamy. Elizabeth learns to mimic Gracie’s mannerisms and sometimes intentionally lispy speech and also inserts herself into the family’s life in a way that is mildly to moderately destructive to this already deeply damaged group of people. Included in this emotional quicksand is Georgie (Cory Michael Smith), Gracie’s youngest child by her first marriage, who was a tween when the scandal came to light and seems to have been destroyed by it.

Actually, even Elizabeth, who shows up with an almost journalistic pose of wanting to “understand,” seems pretty messed up in how she basically just wallows in the griminess of Gracie and her choices. She might claim to want “the truth” but that seems to always translate to the most tabloid-y approach. Portman is commendably game at letting us see the actory nonsense of her character without trying to convince us that Elizabeth is, like, doing art. Likewise, Moore is very good about leaving it vague how much of Gracie’s awfulness is the result of unhealed damage from her own youth and how much is self-conscious predatory behavior masquerading in false innocence. It’s an impressively unflattering portrayal.

The standout performance, though, is from Melton, who gives us a Joe so firmly stuck in the trauma of what happened to him that he can’t see his way out or even be particularly useful in shielding his kids from their mother’s emotional abuse. Melton does a good job of giving us a person who seems thoroughly flattened — someone who is never not screaming on the inside but is almost immobilized on the outside. It is all deeply unpleasant to watch.

And there’s your May December poster quote: “very well acted, deeply unpleasant to watch!” The movie has moments of (very dark) dry humor but those don’t exactly lighten the “aftermath of a horrible car crash” vibes that follow you throughout. I don’t think you’ll be sorry having seen it, particularly if you are a follower of Oscar-y, year-end movie conversation, but I won’t pretend you’ll have a whole lot of fun sitting through it. What’s that, like a B+? For all the quality?

Rated R for some sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Todd Haynes with a screenplay by Samy Burch, May December is an hour and 57 minutes long and streaming on Netflix.

Featured photo: Leave the World Behind.

Meal on the town

Where to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Looking for someone else to cook a special holiday meal? Here are a few places serving up special eats. Did we miss a spot open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or serving a special holiday dish? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) is hosting The Feast of the Seven Fishes on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres before a meal of three plated courses, all featuring fish, followed by Italian desserts like ricotta pie, cannolis, tiramisu, cookies and chocolate mousse.

• Through Saturday, Dec. 30, Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-2581, colbyhillinn.com) will be serving its Chef’s Christmas Cheer Menu from 4 to 8:30 p.m.; it will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entrees on the menu include pork wiener schnitzel with cucumber dill salad, sweet and sour red cabbage and french fries ($40), lobster and scallop pot pie with whipped potatoes and garlic confit ($54) and ricotta honeynut squash ravioli with broccoli rabe, chanterelle and black trumpet mushrooms and truffle butter ($40). Rum cake with coconut pineapple ice cream, peppermint panna cotta, apple strudel with whipped cream, an adult cookie tray and Black Forest cake are for dessert.

The Grazing Room will be serving beverages and food like bratwurst and apple strudel during the Winter Wonderland Barn Market on Saturday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 17, with local craft food and art vendors. Also that Sunday is Christmas! High Tea at 12:30 p.m. with mimosas, Christmas treats, holiday cocktails and punch. It is $65 per person for this event.

Open Christmas Eve

• Airport Diner (2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com)is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Alan’s Restaurant (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a three-course prix fixe menu from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the dining room followed by a dessert buffet and cash bar at the Great Hall. Dinner will also be served at Fondi from 4 to 8 p.m. as well as breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, buckleysgreasteaks.com, 424-0995) is taking reservations for Christmas Eve.

• Chez Vachon (136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, chezvachon.com) will be open regular hours.

• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwewstgrille.com) will be open until 5 p.m.

• The Common Man (Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Camp, 298 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Lakehouse, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 1 Gulf St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; Route 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; thecman.com) is open for dining on Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at their Lakehouse, Meredith, location, and from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ashland, Concord and Merrimack; Route 104 Diner in New Hamptonis open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Copper Door (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com)is accepting reservations until 8 p.m. and will be open until 10 p.m.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) is taking reservations for Christmas Eve dinner from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Epoch Gastropub (90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant.com) is open for Christmas Eve brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• The Farm Bar and Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276) is open from noon to 4 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.

• Foster’s Boiler Room (231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764, thecman.com) is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (799 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-2022; 155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will be open until 8 p.m.

• Friendly Red’s Tavern (22 Haverhill Road, Route 111, Windham, 437-7251; 111 W Broadway, Derry, 404-6606, friendlyredstavern.net) is open until 8 p.m.

• Lakehouse Grille (281 Daneil Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com/lakehouse-grille) is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Pasta Loft Restaurant & Brewing Co. (241 Union Sq., 627-2270, pastaloft.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Red Arrow Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088, redarrowdiner.com) is open for its regular hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Concord, 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Londonderry, 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Manchester open 24 hours; Nashua 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.)

• Surf (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 334-9855, surfseafood.com) is taking reservations via phone.

• T-Bones (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100; 404 Main St., Concord; 39 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677; 1182 Union Ave., Laconia; 311 S Broadway, Salem, greatnhrestaurants.com) closes at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve at each location.

• Lobster ravioli, salmon, maple sausage pizza and more will be served at Wild Rose Restaurant (3351 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway, thewhileroseresaturant.com, 356-3113) on Christmas Eve from 5 to 8 p.m. Visit their website to make your reservation.

• 900 Degrees (Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will be open until 6 p.m. for gift card sales.

Open Christmas Day

• Airport Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua, 204-5088, redarrowdiner.com) is open regular hours on Christmas Day at each location and will be offering a turkey dinner for $18.99.

• Lakehouse Grille (281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com/lakehouse-grille) will be open for breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m. and for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a special Christmas menu.

• Salt Kitchen and Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 422-7322, opalcollection.com) will have a brunchfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wentworth Ballroom with smoothies, a Belgian waffle station and a carving station. Seats are $89.95 and $26.95 for children under 12 years old.

They will also have Christmas dinner from 1 to 10 p.m. with sliced prime beef tenderloin, Scottish salmon, sous vide pork chop and coq au vin chicken. Seats are $69.95 and $26.95 for children under 12 years old. Visit their website to make reservations.

An Italian Christmas

Bedford Village Inn hosts Feast of the Seven Fishes

The halls are decked at Bedford Village Inn with garlands, decor and an upside-down lighted Christmas tree suspended 30 feet high from the ceiling in the Great Hall, where the Inn will host the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian-American celebration, on Thursday, Dec. 21.

“When you enter for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is traditionally held on Christmas Eve … [you’re] greeted by … beautiful holiday decor,” said Melissa Samaras, the sales and marketing director at the Bedford Village Inn. “There’s courses all including fish that go out into an extended over-indulgent evening of incredible wine and cuisine that is very heavily focused on fish.”

While the Feast of the Seven Fishes is not an official tradition or term, and its true origins are not known, eating fish on Christmas Eve could stem from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat other than fish before communion, according to a post by Brian Trembath on the Denver Public Library website. Sydney Dominick, writing for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, says the tradition comes from Italian immigrants who came to America during the 20th century.

“As the guests are seated for dinner, each course is going to be accompanied with a wine pairing that will complement each item being served,” Samaras said. “We change the menu [but] it kind of follows the same prototype in a sense. [There are] certain things you always want to include.”

The evening starts with a cocktail hour with passed and stationary hors d’oeuvres such as shrimp cocktail with bloody mary cocktail sauce and lemon, oysters on the half shell with Champagne citrus mignonette, and smoked trout crostini with chives. As per tradition, hors d’oeuvres are followed by a salad, which will be a grilled calamari salad with pickled vegetables, radicchio and arugula. The second course is spaghetti with clam sauce and parsley, followed by the third course of cod puttanesca with herb-roasted Yukon potatoes and green beans with garlic and almonds. Dessert includes assorted cannolis, tiramisu cups, ricotta pie, chocolate mousse and Italian cookies.

“People can vary as to what they offer,” Samaras said. “You don’t have to stick to any course options; they just have to be fish-focused.”

Italian cuisine is special to Jack Carnevale, the owner of Bedford Village Inn.

“[It] goes back to [his] Italian roots. [He] just really [loves to celebrate] and bring that focus and those memories from his childhood…,” Samaras said. “This celebration … is near and dear to him and he wanted to create the event here to share with everyone else. … It’s really special for us to be able to extend those kinds of celebrations here….”

Feast of the Seven Fishes
When: Thursday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m.
Where: Great Hall at Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford

Featured photo: Torre di Fruitti di Mare. Courtesy photo.

Welcome to ski season

What to expect on the slopes this winter

As the crisp winter air settles in and the first snowflakes begin to fall, winter sports fans eagerly anticipate the start of the ski season. We talked with Aly Coakley, marketing director of McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester where they kicked off the season on Dec. 9, to get an insider’s perspective on gearing up for the winter months.

How are you getting ready for the season?

We have all the snowmaking [processes] on, and our staff is out there at every cold window of opportunity making snow. We have top-to-bottom on the Queen’s Trail open, and our beginners’ area is also set. We have quite a bit of snow stacked up. We haven’t seen a ton of cold snow days, but at this point there’s plenty of snow out there for people to get out and enjoy.

What is your expectation for the length of this season?

We’re anticipating operating all the way until the end of March. That’s usually our goal. Last March we experienced a “miracle March” with so much snow. We’re hoping for the same this year, maybe with more frequent snowstorms throughout the season, so we can keep going through March.

What are the environmental considerations in your snowmaking process? Is that something you have to think about?

Yes, paying attention to the weather is really important because we don’t want to be making a lot of wet snow when it’s too warm, as it’s a waste of electricity and resources. We are very conscious of when and how we operate. Using better snowmaking equipment, like better snow guns and snow fans, allows for more effective operations. It’s really important to stay on top of the latest technology to ensure that our environmental impact is as limited as possible.

Do you notice a difference between man-made and natural snow?

One of the big differences with man-made snow is that it’s squeaky. The nice thing about natural snow is that it’s all caught in the trees, and it just looks beautiful. There’s nothing better than waking up to a powder day with a nicely groomed trail of man-made snow underneath and natural snow on top. That combination makes the perfect powder day.

Are there any special events or unique attractions planned for the upcoming season?

Yes, we have some really cool events coming up. One highlight is our Park Affair event, a women’s snowboarding competition that’s open to any skiers and riders who identify as she/her/they/them. The first prize is $5,000, which is a big deal. Park Affair is a great partner, and they’ll be here on Sunday, Jan. 14. We’ll have everyone from the youngest in our backpack program to really talented athletes who compete in larger competitions. In January, we also have our Gilman race, followed by several other exciting events with great prizes. Then, in March, we have our Little Max Jamboree, which is like a fun race where kids from our snow sports programs participate, dress up in costumes and compete for various prizes, like Best Costume. We also host our pond skim event, where people dress in Hawaiian outfits or any crazy costume they want and skim across a man-made pond we create at the end of the season. Last year we had a big balloon arch, which was wild. At the end of March we have the Vertical Challenge, a fun, free race. Participants who perform well can win tickets to go to Jay Peak for the finals. Alongside these, we have ongoing programs like our learn-to-ski and Tuesday night adult race league. Another popular program is our One Great Race, where for $68 you can ski, snowboard, snow tube, take lessons, and it includes rentals. This program starts in January and has become hugely popular.

How does McIntyre engage with the local community or collaborate with other ski areas?

We collaborate quite a bit with other ski areas. Through Ski New Hampshire, which is our collective, we work together to address any issues we’re facing as a group. In addition to that, we engage in a lot of reciprocal activities. We’re part of the Freedom Pass program, which is included with our junior or adult season passes. This offers 30 free days on the mountain at any of the Freedom Pass partner locations. We’ve also partnered with places like Pats Peak, Plattekill in New York, Ragged Mountain and Great Glen Trails. All these partners offer different ticket options to our passholders, which is a fantastic benefit for those skiing at McIntyre. If they’re going on a ski vacation up north, they can check out Great Glen Trails or visit Ragged Mountain. We all work together to ensure that skiers get great value from their investment in our passes.

Looking ahead, are there any new technologies or innovations you’re considering to enhance future ski seasons?

We’re always looking to enhance our facilities and have a wish list of upgrades and what’s actually feasible. We’re considering RFID options and new lift technologies. Upgrades in snowmaking and the system itself, beyond just the fans, are on our radar. We’re also focusing on expanding our programs in ways that are affordable for families but also cater to their varying needs. We’ve added a new rental fleet of snowboards from Burton and are looking to expand the snowboard line in our retail shop. Our seasonal lease program has grown with additional perks for those opting for seasonal rentals. We’re staying on top of what consumers and our guests are looking for, as well as what makes sense for McIntyre. In the lodge, one small but significant change is adding a water bottle refill station. As a mom with two kids, I find it hugely convenient to fill up water bottles right there. We’re doing these small things where we can, and then tackling bigger projects as they fit into our budget. The biggest future enhancement from my perspective would be implementing RFID technology, not just for smoothing operations but for our hill as well. This would reduce lines at the ticket counter and provide a more accurate count of guests going up and down the hill, among other benefits.

Snow making

President and general manager Ross Boisvert

Can you explain the technology and process involved in making man-made snow and its impact on activities like skiing, snowboarding and tubing?

Our system includes an air system and a fan gun system, which is water to our fan guns. These fan guns are state-of-the-art, pretty new within the last three to five years. They have onboard weather stations that measure temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and wet bulb temperature. This allows the guns to give us readings to operate them at their highest capacity. The colder and drier the air, the more snow we can make. For instance, last night, when [the temperature] was in the teens, we had much better productivity compared to the night before, which was evident just walking in from one morning to the next. Warmer temperatures and higher humidity decrease the productivity of snowmaking.

When we turned one of the guns on last night, which we had shut off during the day, we made more snow in an hour than we did all of the previous night. This morning we walked into about a 10-foot pile at the base, compared to a couple of inches the night before. So we had a very productive night versus a very expensive night with low productivity previously.

We run fan guns, which look like cannons. They have big fans that push out air and water molecules, with onboard compressors that provide compressed air to help make the snow. Essentially, there’s what’s called a nucleus that puts out a bead of water. As more water is added, those crystals bond with other water molecules, creating snow quickly. Man-made snow has more density than natural snow. If you compare a pile of natural snow and a pile of man-made snow under a burner, the natural snow would melt quicker due to its lower density. Natural snow is smoother and quieter to ski on, but if we didn’t have snowmaking abilities in this day and age, ski resorts really wouldn’t exist. We rely heavily on our snowmaking system and, more importantly, our snowmakers, our staff that’s out there at all hours of the night, making sure the guns are running efficiently. It’s always great to go and hug a snowmaker.

Winter forecast

Derek Schroeter, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, which covers weather predictions for northern New Hampshire, offered what insights he could into the winter 2023-2024 season, emphasizing, first, the uncertainty in long-term snowfall predictions.

“We cannot make any definitive predictions on snowfall,” he said.

The NWS is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA’s role is to provide weather forecasts up to a week in advance, Schroeter said, and while the Climate Prediction Center offers seasonal outlooks, it focuses mainly on temperature and precipitation trends rather than specific snowfall predictions. For the December to February period, “Northern New England is likely to experience above-normal temperatures, with equal chances for precipitation,” Schroeter said.

These forecasts are influenced by El Niño conditions in the Pacific, he said, typically leading to warmer temperatures in the northern U.S.

Despite the general trend, however, Schroeter recalls that past El Niño events have sometimes led to above-normal snowfall in New Hampshire.

“Statistically, the majority of El Niño events favor below-normal snowfall, but this does not rule out the possibility of this El Niño event leading to above-normal or near-normal snowfall,” he said.

Regarding the potential for repeat snow events, Schroeter noted the current absence of a favorable storm track, but remains optimistic.

“It’s too hard to pin down at this time range,” he said, “but typically, every winter, even in below-normal snowfall years, we tend to get into a favorable pattern for snowstorms that can lead to at least a short window of good skiing.”

WHERE TO SKI

Here are some of the New Hampshire spots to hit the slopes. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

Abenaki Ski Area
390 Pine Hill Road, Wolfeboro
Hours of operation: Regular: Wednesday through Friday 4 to 7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Holiday/Vacation: Dec. 26 through Jan. 1: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; MLK Day and Presidents Day: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Pricing:
• Day passes: kiddie tow $5, resident $8, non-resident $16, resident (weekend, holiday, vacation) $10, non-resident (weekend, holiday, vacation) $20
• Season passes: youth $50/$100, senior (55+) $50/$100, adult $75/$150, family $250/$375 (resident/non-resident rates)
• Rentals available
More info: 569-5639, wolfeboronh.us/abenaki-ski-area

Attitash Mountain Resort
775 Route 302, Bartlett
Hours of operation: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing: Pricing and availability are date-specific; visit the resort website for the most up-to-date lift ticket pricing
More info: 223-7669, attitash.com

Bear Notch Ski Touring Center
Where: 1573 Route 302, Bartlett
Hours of operation: Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing:
• Lift: adult $22/day, junior (age 16 & under) free with a paying adult; senior (age 65+) $20/day.
• Season passes: adult $195, senior $175
• Rentals: skis/snowshoes $23/day; skate skis $28/day
• Lessons: private instruction $50, group lessons adult $60 adult, child $40
More info: 374-2277, bearnotchskitouring.com

Black Mountain
Where: 373 Black Mountain Road, Jackson
Hours of operation:
• Monday, Thursday and Friday (non-holiday) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holiday periods 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Holiday periods include Dec. 26 through Jan. 1; Jan. 13 through Jan. 15; Feb. 17 through Feb. 25
Pricing:
• Adult (18-64) weekend and holiday $91, weekday $71; Junior (6-17) weekend and holiday $65, weekday $55; senior (65+) weekend and holiday $60, weekday $60; tot (5 and under) free.
• Surface lift: $25
• After 2 p.m. ski free with purchase of full-price next-day ticket
• Locals ski on Sunday afternoon for $25 (with valid ID from specific counties)
• Group sales: Special rates available, contact for more information
More info: 383-4490, blackmt.com

Bretton Woods
Where: 99 Ski Area Road, Bretton Woods
Hours of operation:
Through Dec. 21, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; starting Dec. 22, Friday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing:
• Lift tickets: Early season (before Dec. 22): adults $91 to $109, teens $72 to $82, juniors $52 to $62, seniors $42 to $105; Regular season (after Dec. 22): adults $111 to $139, teens $72 to $92, juniors $52 to $72, seniors $42 to $124
• Season passes available for purchase with various options and benefits, including discounts at resort retail shops and unlimited use of certain lifts
More info: 278-3320, brettonwoods.com

Cannon Mountain
Where: 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia
Hours of operation: Depends on Mountain Report; see website
Pricing:
• Lift tickets: adult (18-64) $96 to $111, teen (13-17)/college $83 to $98, military $58 to $73
• Two-day lift tickets: adult $177 to $192, teen/college $151 to $166, military $101 to $116
• Season passes: Adult Cannon Pass starts at $591, prices vary with purchase date and age categories
More info: 823-8800, cannonmt.com

Crotched Mountain Ski Area
Where: 615 Francestown Road, Bennington
Hours of operation: Sunday to Monday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pricing: Daily lift tickets: junior (7-17) weekday $70, weekend $84; adult (18-64) weekday $80, weekend $94; senior (65+ years) weekday $70, weekend $84
More Info: 588-3668 or visit crotchedmtn.com

Gunstock Mountain Resort
Where: 719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford
Hours of operation: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing:
• Season passes: child (0-5) $49, junior (6-22) $599, adult (23-59) $899, senior (60-69) $599
• Daily lift tickets: junior weekday $63, weekend $75; adult weekday $87, weekend $99; senior weekday $63, weekend $75
More Info: 293-4341, gunstock.com

Loon Mountain Resort
Where: 60 Loon Mountain Road, Lincoln
Hours of operation: Non-holiday Monday through Friday lifts open at 9 a.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays lifts open at 8 a.m. Individual lift closure times vary. Check the Mountain Report for times.
Pricing:
• Season passes: child (0-5) $30, junior (6-18) $919, adult (19-64) $1,449, senior (65-79) $1,099
• Daily lift tickets: junior weekday $59, weekend $89; adult weekday $71, weekend $107; senior weekday $63, weekend $95
• Two-day pass: junior $102, adult $123, senior $108
More info: 745-8111 or loonmtn.com

McIntyre Ski Area
Where: 50 Chalet Way, Manchester
Hours of operation: full day 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; night 4 to 9 p.m.; half-day morning 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; half-day afternoon 1 to 6 p.m.
Pricing:
• Season passes: adult (18-64) $439; junior (4-17) $419; senior (65+) $35; toddler (age 3 & under) free with purchase of an adult season pass (special offer: buy two junior passes and get up to two adult season passes at $179 each)
• Special tickets $68 for 3:30-to-9 p.m. ticket (includes skiing, snowboarding, tubing, rentals) $58 for 5:30 p.m.+ until 9 p.m.
• Lesson tips are available from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.; après ski with live music, hot cocoa and cash bar.
More Info: 622-6159 or mcintyreskiarea.com

Mount Sunapee
Where: 1398 Route 103, Newbury
Hours of operation: weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; midweek 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing: Daily lift tickets for child (5-12) weekday $64, weekend $69; adult (13-64) weekday $95, weekend $103; senior (62+) weekday $76, weekend $82. Two-day pass for child $128, adult $190, senior $152
More info: 763-3500, mountsunapee.com

Pats Peak
Where: 686 Flanders Road, Henniker
Hours of operation:
Pats Peak plans to be open daily until 4 p.m. Night skiing starts on Dec. 26.
Pricing:
• Weekend/holiday lift tickets: adult (18-64) $95 (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), $85 (12:30 p.m. to close), $72 (4 p.m. to close); junior (6-17) and senior (65+) $85, $75, $62 respectively; child (5 & under) $18
• Weekday, non-holiday lift tickets: adult (18-64) $76 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), prices range from $66 to $79 for other time slots; junior (6-17) and senior (65+) $62 to $69 depending on time slot and area; child (5 & under) free Monday through Thursday, $18 Friday
• Valley Area lift tickets (weekend/holiday and weekday, non-holiday) adult/junior/senior $62
• Bluster Area lift tickets (weekend/holiday and weekday, non-holiday) adult/junior/senior $39
• Beginner Area lift tickets: Friday/weekend/holiday $39 (adult/junior/senior), Monday through Thursday, non-holiday free
More info: 428-3245 or visit patspeak.com

Ragged Mountain Resort
Where: 620 Ragged Mountain Road, Danbury
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing:
• Lift tickets (window rates): adult (13-64) $99 to $119; junior (6-12) $72 to $89; senior (65-79) $72 to $89
• Half-day tickets (noon to 4 p.m.): adult (13-64) $59 to $69; junior (6-12) $49 to $59; senior (65-79) $45 to $55
• Advance rates also available
More info: 768-3600 or raggedmountainresort.com

Waterville Valley Resort
Where: 1 Ski Area Road, Waterville Valley
Hours of operation:
• Through Jan. 15: weekdays 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Jan. 15 to mid-March: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Mid-March to Closing Day: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pricing:
• Adult (18-64) lift tickets: full day $116, half day $106, two-day pack $204, three-day pack $288
• Teen (13-17)/college/military lift tickets: full day $106, half day $96, two-day pack $181, three-day pack $255
• Junior (6-12)/senior (65+) lift tickets: full day $96, half day $86, two-day pack $159, three-day pack $222
• Tyke (5 & under)/80+ lift tickets: full day, half day, two-day pack, three-day pack: free
More info: 800-468-2553, waterville.com
• Lesson tips are available from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.; après ski with live music, hot cocoa and cash bar.
More Info: 622-6159 or mcintyreskiarea.com

Mount Sunapee
Where: 1398 Route 103, Newbury
Hours of operation: weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; midweek 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing: Daily lift tickets for child (5-12) weekday $64, weekend $69; adult (13-64) weekday $95, weekend $103; senior (62+) weekday $76, weekend $82. Two-day pass for child $128, adult $190, senior $152
More info: 763-3500, mountsunapee.com

Pats Peak
Where: 686 Flanders Road, Henniker
Hours of operation:
Pats Peak plans to be open daily until 4 p.m. Night skiing starts on Dec. 26.
Pricing:
• Weekend/holiday lift tickets: adult (18-64) $95 (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), $85 (12:30 p.m. to close), $72 (4 p.m. to close); junior (6-17) and senior (65+) $85, $75, $62 respectively; child (5 & under) $18
• Weekday, non-holiday lift tickets: adult (18-64) $76 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), prices range from $66 to $79 for other time slots; junior (6-17) and senior (65+) $62 to $69 depending on time slot and area; child (5 & under) free Monday through Thursday, $18 Friday
• Valley Area lift tickets (weekend/holiday and weekday, non-holiday) adult/junior/senior $62
• Bluster Area lift tickets (weekend/holiday and weekday, non-holiday) adult/junior/senior $39
• Beginner Area lift tickets: Friday/weekend/holiday $39 (adult/junior/senior), Monday through Thursday, non-holiday free
More info: 428-3245 or visit patspeak.com

Ragged Mountain Resort
Where: 620 Ragged Mountain Road, Danbury
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pricing:
• Lift tickets (window rates): adult (13-64) $99 to $119; junior (6-12) $72 to $89; senior (65-79) $72 to $89
• Half-day tickets (noon to 4 p.m.): adult (13-64) $59 to $69; junior (6-12) $49 to $59; senior (65-79) $45 to $55
• Advance rates also available
More info: 768-3600 or raggedmountainresort.com

Waterville Valley Resort
Where: 1 Ski Area Road, Waterville Valley
Hours of operation:
• Through Jan. 15: weekdays 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Jan. 15 to mid-March: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Mid-March to Closing Day: weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pricing:
• Adult (18-64) lift tickets: full day $116, half day $106, two-day pack $204, three-day pack $288
• Teen (13-17)/college/military lift tickets: full day $106, half day $96, two-day pack $181, three-day pack $255
• Junior (6-12)/senior (65+) lift tickets: full day $96, half day $86, two-day pack $159, three-day pack $222
• Tyke (5 & under)/80+ lift tickets: full day, half day, two-day pack, three-day pack: free
More info: 800-468-2553, waterville.com

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.

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