The Exeter UFO Festival is back to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the Exeter incident
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
Whether or not they are real, aliens will be the talk of the town in Exeter on Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4, during the return of the annual UFO Festival, run by the Exeter Kiwanis Club. The festival celebrates all things alien, with 10 guest speakers, UFO-related activities, and tours to the different sighting locations that make up the Exeter incident.
The festival, which was canceled for the past two years due to Covid-19, is back and larger than ever, said Kiwanis Club president Robert Cox.
“We’re actually celebrating the Exeter Incident, the sighting of the UFO in Kensington,” Cox said. “It’s famous. It’s been published in different books and magazines.”
According to the Exeter UFO Festival’s website, on Sept. 3, 1965, 18-year-old Norman Muscarello was hitchhiking in Kensington, about 5 miles away from Exeter, when he saw five flashing lights. He initially thought they belonged to a fire engine, but when he got closer he saw that they were hovering in the sky.
Muscarello stopped a car on the highway and caught a ride to the Exeter police station. He told the night duty officer what he saw, and they returned to the location where the lights were. They were met there by another on-duty officer. When the three arrived at the wooded area, they saw the red lights attached to a large structure as it rose into the sky and disappeared.
While this is only one of the sightings that makes up the Exeter Incident, Cox said that he felt it was the most convincing.
“You had two police officers that went back out with the kid Norman Muscarello,” Cox said. He said that he’s not a complete believer in UFOs but added that “you have to have a little faith in [the officers’] credibility as well … with the amount of people who have seen this then it’s hard to dismiss [the incident].”
The festival will have a map for visitors to drive out to the different sighting locations on their own, or they can purchase a ticket for a trolley ride that will go out to all the hot spots. The trolley will only be available on Saturday.
Merchandise, like posters, T-shirts, and hats, depicting the famous scene with Muscarello and the two policemen will be for sale throughout the weekend. The artwork for the merchandise was provided by Dean Merchant, a local ufologist and originator of the festival.
A group of 10 expert speakers will give presentations about aliens, UFOs and intelligent life on other planets throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, Cox said. Saturday evening, there will be a meet and greet and Q-and-A with the speakers.
Kids can make their own flying saucers at the UFO crash site, and there will be hand painting (the Covid-19 friendly alternative to face painting), decorating rocks, and more fun activities for them throughout the weekend.
Cox said he is excited to see this event come back after being on hiatus for two years, and he knows that he isn’t the only one.
“The regular attendees are really anxious to get back,” Cox said. “I think we’re going to have quite a large crowd this year.”
Exeter UFO Festival Where: Exeter Town Hall, 9 Front St., Exeter When: Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Price: Free, with trolley and speaker meet and greet costing $5 and $30 respectively Visit: exeterufofestival.org
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Robert Cox of the Exeter Kiwanis Club.
Where to get glazed, sugared and freshly made deliciousness
By Matt Ingersoll, Katelyn Sahagian and Hannah Turtle
listings@hippopress.com
Mmm, doughnuts.
From cider doughnuts at your local farm stand to those with unique toppings and fillings, we set out to find spots in southern New Hampshire where you can get them fresh. Where specified, we’ve also highlighted where you can get some of the wackiest doughnut flavors.
Did we miss a spot in southern New Hampshire that offers its own freshly made doughnuts? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.
Greater Concord
Abby’s Cafe 17 Bridge St., Henniker, 428-4455, find them on Facebook @abbyscafe When are the doughnuts fresh? Every Saturday morning at the cafe, from its 7 a.m. opening until they sell out. Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffees and espresso drinks are available, sourced from White Mountain Gourmet Coffee. Flavor offerings: Flavors include chocolate-frosted, maple-frosted, strawberry-frosted, vanilla-frosted, glazed, chocolate-glazed, Boston cream, cinnamon sugar, blueberry-glazed and lemon-frosted, as well as apple-filled and apple cider doughnuts available seasonally. Doughnut adventure: Butternut crunch and chocolate butternut crunch are two of the more unusual flavors, using a “secret” recipe for the crunch topping, according to cafe owner Abby Reed.
Carter Hill Orchard 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Cider doughnuts are made fresh most days and are available daily. The farm stand is open every day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., now through Oct. 28. After that, hours will be daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call ahead to find out whether cider doughnuts are still available.
Chichester Country Store 257 Main St., Chichester, 798-5081, chichestercountrystore.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Chichester Country Store’s “famous” apple cider doughnuts are made fresh daily. Two miles north of the Epsom traffic circle, at the intersection of Route 28 and Main Street, the shop is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They also have several wholesale accounts and are a regular featured vendor at the Concord Farmers Market, held on Capitol Street on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Is there coffee? A self-service hot coffee station features locally roasted coffees from Port City Coffee Roasters and Lucas Roasting Co. Flavor offerings: Regular apple cider doughnut flavors include plain, sugared, cinnamon sugared, maple-frosted and chocolate-frosted. Doughnut adventure: Usually on Fridays at the shop, as well as during the Concord Farmers Market, Chichester Country Store offers specialty doughnut flavors, like candied maple walnut, chocolate frosted with Reese’s Pieces, and a “campfire” s’mores doughnut topped with chocolate drizzle and a toasted marshmallow.
Gould Hill Farm 656 Gould Hill Road, Hopkinton, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com When are the doughnuts fresh? According to Gould Hill Farm owner Tim Bassett, apple cider doughnuts are available every weekend in the fall until the Christmas season. The farm is currently open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meadow Ledge Farm 612 Route 129, Loudon, 798-5860, meadowledgefarm.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Hot apple cider doughnuts are made fresh at the farm stand every weekend. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in September and October, according to its website.
New Hampshire Doughnut Co. 2 Capital Plaza, Concord, 715-5097; 114 Dover Road, Chichester; 410 S. River Road, Bedford (expected September 2022); nhdoughnutco.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Doughnuts are made fresh daily at both locations. The Concord location is open Wednesday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,; Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Chichester location, which offers online ordering and pickup only, is open Wednesday through Friday, from 7 to 8 a.m., and Saturday, from 8 to 9 a.m. Is there coffee? The Concord location uses Woodshed Roasting Co., featuring a full coffee menu that includes hot and iced espresso drinks. Hot chocolate and hot and iced teas are available. Flavor offerings: Both locations currently offer cake doughnuts, with regular flavors that include vanilla, chocolate, apple cider and several gluten-free and dairy-free options. The upcoming Bedford location will expand New Hampshire Doughnut Co.’s offerings into yeast ring doughnuts, filled doughnuts, fritters and French crullers. Doughnut adventure: According to owner Amanda Baril, doughnut lovers come back for unique flavors like maple bacon and cannoli as well as fun doughnut-themed weeks like Harry Potter and Disney themes.
Greater Manchester
The Bakeshop on Kelley Street 171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Flavored doughnuts are available on Saturdays and Sundays only — the shop is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Cider doughnuts are available during the week and on weekends, year-round. Is there coffee? Hot, iced and cold brew are available, from Mill City Roasting Co. of Londonderry. Flavor offerings: Strawberry crumble, Fruity Pebbles, maple bacon, Oreo, s’mores and Reese’s peanut butter cup are among the shop’s most popular flavors, according to owner Denise Nickerson. Other regular flavors include chocolate glazed, maple, strawberry and cinnamon sugar, while for specialty flavors there’s blueberry, pumpkin, lemon meringue and piña colada. Doughnut adventure: Try the peaches and cream — a vanilla bean frosted yeast doughnut topped with peach compote — or the Almond Joy, a chocolate cake doughnut topped with coconut, toasted almonds and a chocolate drizzle.
Doughnuts from Bearded Baking Co. in Manchester. Courtesy photo.
Bearded Baking Co. 819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily. According to owner Jon Buatti, baked doughnuts and yeast doughnuts are available — he recommended visiting early in the morning to get the best selection. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ordering doughnuts online for pickup at the shop is also an option. Is there coffee: Hot coffee, cold brew and whipped coffee with coffees from A&E Coffee Roasters are available. Flavor offerings: Doughnuts are regularly rotated out with a variety of flavors, such as cinnamon sugar, maple frosted, and cookies and cream. Doughnut adventure: Try the coffee cake doughnut, topped with a layer of icing, or the s’mores doughnut with marshmallows and graham crackers.
Bird Food Baking Co. Goffstown, birdfoodbaking.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Available to order anytime and available for purchase on Saturday mornings at Hometown Coffee Roasters (80 Old Granite St., Manchester), Apotheca Flowers (24C Main St., Goffstown), Revelstoke Coffee (100 N. Main St., Concord) and the Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester), as well as at 815 Cocktails & Provisions (815 Elm St., Manchester) on Friday and Saturday evenings. Is there coffee? Each location offers a variety of hot and iced coffees. Flavor offerings: Everything from chocolate frosted and sprinkles to strawberry shortcake, whoopie pie, s’mores, maple bacon, and peanut butter and jelly. You name it and owner and baker Trina Bird has probably done it. Doughnut adventure: Some recent over-the-top doughnut flavors, Bird said, have included chicken and waffles, Monte Cristo and mango sesame.
Bitesize Cafe & Bakery 1461 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 210-2089, find them on Facebook @bitesizecafebakery When are the doughnuts fresh? Apple cider doughnuts are made fresh daily. Currently the cafe is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Is there coffee? Single-origin coffees, as well as a variety of handcrafted hot and iced lattes, are available.
The Common Man Roadside Donut Shop 530 W. River Road, Hooksett (immediately off Interstate 93 North), thecmanroadside.com When are the doughnuts fresh? All of The Common Man Roadside’s doughnuts are made fresh daily year-round. The shop is open Sunday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Is there coffee? Coffee is available, as well as warm apple cider, teas and a range of cold beverages. Flavor offerings: The shop specializes in apple cider doughnuts — plain, cinnamon sugar, maple-glazed, caramel pecan, chocolate frosted and coffee cake. Other flavors include chocolate, blueberry, chocolate hazelnut, red velvet, pumpkin and eggnog. Doughnut adventure: During Girl Scout cookie season, specialty flavored s’mores, chocolate mint and chocolate coconut doughnuts are available.
Doughnuts from Flight Coffee Co. in Bedford. Courtesy photo.
Flight Coffee Co. 209 Route 101, Bedford, 836-6228, flightcoffeeco.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Doughnuts are available from open to close every day. According to Flight Coffee Co. owner and founder Claudia Barrett, they are fried in the morning and are either donated or sold out by closing time. Is there coffee? Flight Coffee Co. features a wide array of hot and iced single-origin coffees and espresso drinks, using its own roasted beans from all over the Coffee Belt. Flavor offerings: Doughnut flavors follow the seasons at Flight Coffee Co. — currently they’re offering chocolate-frosted and vanilla-frosted cake and yeast doughnuts as well as Wicked Maple “stuffies.” Two different vegan and gluten-free doughnuts are also available. Doughnut adventure: Flight Coffee Co.’s signature doughnut item is its Mile High Layered Cronut, “a delicious hybrid of a croissant and a doughnut,” as described by Barrett. “The dough is laminated and folded many times,” she said. “Once cooked, the Mile High is rolled [and] dipped in glaze, filled with cream and topped with a seasonal twist.”
Pinard Street Bakery 1 Pinard St., Manchester (inside Charlie’s), 606-1835, pinardstreetbakery.business.site When are the doughnuts fresh? Usually available on Wednesdays from 6 to 11 a.m. Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffee is available, as well as cold brew, specialty lattes and teas. Flavor offerings: Regular doughnut flavors on Wednesday mornings include homemade glazed, as well as cinnamon sugar doughnut holes. Doughnut adventure: Specialty flavors have included Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch doughnuts, which were available on National Doughnut Day back in June.
Sweet Love Bakery 20 Main St., Goffstown, 497-2997, sweetlovebakerynh.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning. The shop is open Monday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m. to noon; Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Is there coffee? Sweet Love Bakery partners with A&E Coffee & Tea for coffees and specialty hot and iced teas. Flavor offerings: Regular flavors include chocolate glazed and cinnamon sugar, and weekly specials are offered. Doughnut adventure: Try the Butterfinger doughnut, or the apple cider doughnut with a maple glaze.
Doughnuts from Wild Orchid Bakery in Manchester. Courtesy photo.
Wild Orchid Bakery 836 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7338, wildorchidbakery.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily. The shop is currently open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Monday. Is there coffee? Hot drip coffee, iced coffee and specialty espresso drinks are available, with coffee from Hometown Coffee Roasters of Manchester. Flavor offerings: Vanilla glaze, chocolate glaze, Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Monster and maple bacon. There are also gluten-free options, including gluten-free tiramisu, gluten-free Fruity Pebbles and gluten-free Oreo. Doughnut adventure: Try the crème brûlée — a custard-filled doughnut topped with caramelized sugar — or the apple pie, a cinnamon sugar doughnut with an apple pie filling.
I-93 South
Heav’nly Donuts 36 S. Main St., Derry, 216-2831; 125 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 458-2616; 44 Route 125, Brentwood, 347-5178; heavnlydonuts.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily. Is there coffee? Each location features freshly brewed hot and iced coffees and teas, with original coffee flavors brewed on site. Flavor offerings: More than two dozen varieties are available, from chocolate-frosted and maple-frosted to blueberry cruller, Boston cream, glazed and red velvet. Doughnut adventure: Try the “Stuft” doughnuts, with flavors that include strawberry, cherry, peach, apple and pineapple.
Klemm’s Bakery 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning, available from 7 a.m. on. Is there coffee? Klemm’s offers regular drip coffee and decaf and various flavor options, like French vanilla and hazelnut. Flavor offerings: Flavors range from traditional honey-dipped glazed doughnuts to jelly and vanilla cream-filled. Doughnut adventure: The most popular unique flavor at Klemm’s is the blueberry crunch, a blueberry-based doughnut with a buttercrunch topping.
Mack’s Apples 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432-3456, macksapples.com The farm market is open daily from 9 a.m to 6 p.m., offering its own freshly made cider doughnuts in addition to a variety of other homemade items.
Sunnycrest Farm 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-9652, sunnycrestfarmnh.com When are the doughnuts fresh? They’re continuously being fried off on the weekends. During apple season in the fall they will almost always be fresh during shop hours. The farm stand opens at 9 a.m. seven days a week. Is there coffee? Regular drip coffee from King David Coffee Roasters of Nashua. Flavor offerings: The farm stand only offers apple cider doughnuts using their own apple cider and applesauce pressed on the farm. They also offer gluten-free doughnuts.
Greater Nashua
Brookdale Fruit Farm 41 Broad St. in Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com The farm stand is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Crosby Bakery 51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Every morning when they open at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffee options. Flavor offerings: Everything from glazed and chocolate-covered to jelly and cream-filled. Doughnut adventure: Crosby Bakery features a weekly pop-up series called a “Grownup Doughnut.” Most tend to be inspired by classic cocktails and have a boozy addition. Past flavors have included mudslide, piña colada and orange chocolate martini.
Doughnuts from Donut Fresh Express in Milford. Courtesy photo.
Donut Fresh Express 112 Elm St., Milford, 672-0298, donut-fresh-express-nh.hub.biz When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh first thing every morning. The shop opens at 5:30 a.m. during the week and 6 a.m. on weekends, according to its Facebook page. Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffees, hot tea and various smoothies. Flavor offerings: Regular flavors include glazed, Boston cream, jelly, vanilla cream, maple, chocolate, sprinkles, blueberry cake, coconut and more.
Lull Farm 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning at the farm stand, which opens at 7 a.m. seven days a week, year-round. Is there coffee? Regular drip Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffees are available. Flavor offerings: The doughnuts are all cider, with some rolled in sugar and some just plain.
Moulton’s Kitchen & Market 10 Main St., Amherst, 673-2404, moultonsmarket.com When are the doughnuts fresh? They’re baked off first thing in the morning, right after opening. The shop opens at 7 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Is there coffee? Moulton’s offers hot and iced coffees as well as specialty lattes and other espresso drinks. Flavor offerings: Featured cake doughnut flavors include cinnamon sugar, chocolate glaze, white icing and plain. Featured yeast ring doughnut flavors include strawberry, chocolate or vanilla icing. Doughnut adventure: Occasionally there are blueberry cake doughnuts, chocolate cake doughnuts and jelly-filled doughnuts. Seasonally, Moulton’s will also offer a pumpkin cake doughnut.
Sweet Treats by Emilee Milford, find her on Facebook @emileessweettreats When are the doughnuts fresh? Chef Emilee Viaud of Sweet Treats by Emilee is a regular vendor at the Milford Farmers Market (300 Elm St., Milford) on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the winter months, the market moves indoors. Flavor offerings: The most popular doughnut flavor Viaud offers is maple bacon. She tries to keep flavors seasonal, using fresh fruit in the spring and making s’mores-flavored doughnuts in the summer. Doughnut adventure: According to Viaud, the most unique doughnut she has ever made was a savory everything-bagel doughnut. The base doughnut was unchanged, but the topping featured an unsweetened cream cheese frosting and an everything bagel seasoning.
Trombly Gardens 150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every Saturday and Sunday morning. The farm stand opens at 9 a.m. on both days. Is there coffee? Locally roasted coffee from Parker and Sons Coffee Roasting of Peterborough. They also have hot chocolate and, in the fall, hot cider. Flavor offerings: All doughnuts are an apple cider base, especially going into the apple season. The doughnuts can come sugar-coated or plain. Doughnut adventure: Throughout different peak harvest seasons, Trombly Gardens will add fresh fruit in their doughnuts. They do strawberry, blueberry and peach during the summer. Sometimes they’ll also offer maple bacon glazed doughnuts. There are also specialty doughnut options served out of the ice cream window, such as doughnut sundaes.
Toward the Lakes
Brothers Donuts 426 Central St., Franklin, 934-6678, find them on Facebook @brothersdonuts When are the doughnuts fresh? Made at 3 a.m. daily and sold until they run out. Brothers Donuts also regularly delivers to businesses including Dulces Bakery (87 Amherst St., Manchester), Revelstoke Coffee (100 N. Main St., Concord) and the Hooksett rest area on both sides of Interstate 93. Flavor offerings: Doughnut flavors change daily with various specialty options. Doughnut adventure: Brothers Donuts’ specials have included Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cannoli, caramel Twix and strawberry cream.
Cider Bellies Doughnuts 18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 707-9657, ciderbelliesdoughnuts.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Every morning at sunrise. Flavor offerings: Cinnamon sugar, old-fashioned, maple drizzle, baker’s chocolate drizzle, lemon drizzle Doughnut adventure: The shop’s lemon drizzle doughnuts feature a blend of sweet and tart flavors and can be topped with poppy seeds.
Goody Good Donuts 235 Union Ave, Laconia, 528-4003, find them on Facebook @makingholes When are the doughnuts fresh? Made daily at 4 a.m. and sold until 11 a.m. or until they run out for the day Flavor offerings: A wide variety of flavors is offered, including butternut chocolate, maple roll, raspberry sugar, jelly cream, Boston cream and more. Doughnut adventure: Goody Good Donuts offers an Arnold Palmer doughnut, consisting of a lemon and raspberry batter and a glazed shell.
Toward the coast
Donut Love 112 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, donutlove603.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Made daily at 7 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and sold until they run out. They’re also available at the shop’s sister location, Comfort Baking Co. (75 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter), which is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Flavor offerings: Donut Love offers a variety of flavors, including chocolate sea salt, maple bacon, Maine blueberry and cold brew coffee. Doughnut adventure: Try the Mama-O doughnut, a pink vanilla doughnut made with the shop’s signature recipe that includes potatoes.
Fresh AF Bakeshop 34 Church St., Kingston, 642-8609, freshafbakeshop.com The Bakeshop is open Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A post from Aug. 27 said “stuffed doughnuts available Saturdays and Sundays, while supplies last.” Flavor offerings: The Bakeshop offers a “daily rotating menu of sweets & sass” according to the website.
Northwoods Brewing Co. 1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-6400, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com When are the doughnuts fresh? Cruller doughnuts are made fresh every day at Northwoods Brewing Co., according to marketing director Sarah Fenerty. Visit them between 8 a.m. (when they open) and 10 a.m. for the best selection. Is there coffee? Hot coffee and tea are available. Fenerty also recommends trying one of the brewery’s own coffee porters with a cruller. Flavor offerings: Around 15 cruller flavors are usually available daily, including chocolate, churro, maple, lemon and honey. Pumpkin-flavored crullers are available seasonally. Doughnut adventure: Try the maple bacon cruller, usually available a few times a week, or the Almond Joy cruller, loaded with coconut pieces, almonds and chocolate.
Featured photo: A doughnut from Bird Food Baking Co., based in Goffstown. Courtesy photo.
To address the state’s shortage of public defenders, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has issued an order allowing private attorneys who pursue a “Limited Active” status classification through the New Hampshire Bar Association to accept assigned, contract and pro bono cases providing legal counsel and representation for defendants who cannot afford an attorney. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, the order also waives mandatory continuing legal education and Trust Account Certificate requirements for limited active status attorneys in any year in which they accept at least three eligible cases, and for limited active status attorneys who volunteer to provide pro bono representation through the legal services 603 Legal Aid, NH Legal Assistance and Disabilities Right Center NH. “There is a critical need for defense attorneys,” Sarah Blodgett, executive director of the New Hampshire Judicial Council, said in the release. “Both the Judicial Branch and the State have taken several steps to address this issue, and this order will make a real difference to many New Hampshire residents.”
Lottery website hacked
The New Hampshire Lottery announced on its Facebook page the morning of Friday, Aug. 26, that the third-party hosting provider of its website nhlottery.com had experienced a cyberattack in which banners and pop-ups prompted users to click and download a .zip file. The website was taken offline shortly after the announcement. NH Lottery posted an update on Facebook Friday evening, stating, “We are confident that this attack did not impact any player data nor compromise the integrity of our gaming platforms,” and urging users who clicked a banner or pop-up to delete the .zip file, empty their computer’s trash or recycle bin folder and install and run an antivirus and antimalware scanner. The website was restored on Saturday around 1:30 a.m.
Strengthening child care
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced a new Child Care Strengthening Plan designed to support recruitment and retention of the child care workforce and ensure the long-term stability of the child care sector in the state. In a press release, the Department outlined four short-term initiatives of the plan, including a reinvestment in high school programs and partnerships with the Department of Education to strengthen pipelines for the early learning educators workforce; expanded access to the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps scholarship funds for child care professionals to pursue higher education while working; grants to cover one-time operating costs, such as start-up expenses, facility maintenance and expansion of classrooms and outdoor spaces, allowing more revenue to be allocated for workforce development; and training and education partnerships with New Hampshire Employment Security to encourage employment pathways for professional development, training programs and continuing education. “This plan gives us an opportunity to develop innovative and progressive solutions to support the needs of families and deliver high-quality child care by investing in our child care workforce,” DHHS associate commissioner Christine Santaniello said in the release. Passed as part of the legislation under Senate Bill 446, the plan builds on DHHS’ ongoing efforts to support the child care sector in New Hampshire, funded through the American Rescue Plan Discretionary Funds.
Wage raise
The Manchester Board of School Committee has voted unanimously to implement a $15 minimum wage for all full- and part-time employees of the Manchester School District. According to a press release, the approved proposal, which will also include proportional wage increases based on employees’ labor classifications, will raise the wages of 372 school district staff, including paraprofessionals, food service workers and 21st Century Program personnel. “Every staff member working for our District contributes to our students’ education and deserves to make a living wage,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. “Now, we’ll be able to attract more high-quality staff to support our kids and retain and motivate the hardworking employees already serving within our schools.” The change carries a fiscal impact of $810,357.
Student mental health
Dartmouth Health continues its year-long monthly webinar series about mental health, “Heads Up: A Year-Long Mental Health Awareness Journey,” with a segment on the unique mental health stressors affecting student athletes. According to a press release, the fourth webinar in the series features graduate student-athlete and member of the Lynn University Women’s Basketball team Meghan Cramb of Merrimack; staff psychologist and director of the Sport Psychology Program at Dartmouth College Health Services Mark Hiatt, Ph.D.; and Dartmouth Health Children’s physician-in-chief and board-certified sports pediatrician Keith J. Loud, M.D. The panelists discuss stressors such as pressure to perform well, balancing athletics with academics, season-ending injuries and transitioning to different grade level or collegiate sports and provide insights, tips and resources for student athletes and the family, friends, coaches and teammates who support them. “Adolescents will rate the discontinuation or the exclusion from sports participation as among the greatest losses they could experience, up there with the loss of a friend or family member to death,” Loud said in the webinar. For more details on the “Heads Up” series, visit dartmouth-health.org/mental-health.
Vehicle charging stations
The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has approved a proposal from Eversource, the largest energy provider in New England, to invest $2.1 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state. The proposal, known as the “make-ready plan,” pairs Eversource funds with funds from a 2017 Volkswagen legal settlement, which have been held in an Environmental Mitigation Trust reserved for environmental mitigation projects. The funds will be used to construct electric vehicle charging stations with public access in strategic locations throughout the state and implement an automated billing system at those stations.
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover was selected to receive an Institute of Museum and Library Services INSPIRE! grant for small museums. According to a press release, the museum plans to launch a series of educational initiatives to implement developmentally appropriate play-based learning activities for children age 5 and younger.
Registration is now open for free in-person classes at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications in Manchester (749 E. Industrial Park Drive). The four-week session will run Sept. 14 through Oct. 5, with classes on Wednesday evenings. Visit loebschool.org or call 627-0005.
The New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center in Auburn (26 Audubon Way) will have a native plant sale on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. Bagley Pond, an organic native perennial farm in Warner, will be at the Center with a wide selection of native plants and shrubs for purchase. According to a press release, the goal of the event is to provide home gardeners with plants that are safe for and support native pollinators and wildlife. Visit nhaudubon.org.
I had breakfast this morning with a fascinating person. She is an architectural historian who has studied Notre Dame cathedral in Paris for many years and is now one of the experts regularly consulted as the 800-year-old building is being restored after the devastating fire of April 2019. For many years earlier, she studied the gradual process by which the cathedral had been built, noting that, over the course of 100 years, its walls had been constructed in stages as the mortar of each course of stone had to dry fully — a process that could take years — before the next layer could be added. In the end, thanks to the patience and skill of the builders, one of the most loved and iconic structures was completed. But it was a very slow process.
As my friend described that process, a comparison was forming in my mind. Our country, too, is a construction in progress, I thought. Yes, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the “foundation” of the U.S. — we regularly refer to “the founding fathers” — but the rest of the work of realizing the vision of our forebears has been entrusted to subsequent generations. As American historians have shown us, this has been a trial-and-error process. We make laws to clarify or safeguard something only to see how it works out and perhaps repeal or modify it later. It’s a slow process. Just as for Notre Dame, each layer is added slowly, waiting and monitoring and then working on the next layer. My friend described the cathedral as a “building in dialogue with itself,” and perhaps that’s true for us as a country as well.
Today, especially in these times of polarization, many of us are impatient with the give and take of the democratic process, and instead would wish to “build it all” simply, with a change of presidential administration or a shift in Congress from one political majority to another. Our fast-paced world, instantaneous global communication, 24/7 news and compulsive social media all make difficult the more fundamental task of thoughtful conversations with our fellow citizens. It takes patience and courage to talk about such critical issues as immigration, abortion, voting rights or gun control in a way that respects difference of opinion while having that conversation based on a shared commitment to our country. Like Notre Dame, this is a slow process.
The elections this fall offer each of us, individual builders in the construction of this country, the challenge of being informed, of listening to one another, not just those in our echo chamber, and registering and voting intelligently. We may not see the completion of the perfect edifice, but we shall have done our part.
It’s been a long, strange trip for The Range, a Mason driving range, restaurant, and tiki bar that began offering live music outdoors just over a decade ago. The first foray lasted until 2014, when legal challenges shut it down for four years. In 2018 The Range rocked again with a show headlined by Badfish, Roots of Creation and a few area bands, and it has kept going since. With upgrades to the stage and sound, it bills itself as “the greatest live music venue you’ve never heard of in New Hampshire.”
Brett Wilson recalled his group Roots of Creation being the first to play there in 2011. The southern New Hampshire jam band called the event RoC the Range, a name that’s stuck through subsequent years and is back for an extended two-day run, on Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27. RoC will play three sets, one drawing from its Dead-inspired Grateful Dub records, and two of original music.
“When we first played the driving range, there was no stage, it was under a tiny little tent,” Wilson said by phone recently. “The next year, they bought a bigger tent.”
Badfish will headline Friday night, with RoC providing the lead-in and promising a full-length set of originals. “Like an hour and half, not a little opening set, because they’re our friends, and they’re cool letting us do that,” Wilson said, adding, “it’s kind of our branded event, but they’re closing it out.”
Saturday will feature a hybrid reggae/jam set, music that has them frequently called Bradley Nowell and Jerry Garcia’s love child, followed by another all-original performance. RoC recently signed with Nugs.net, a concert streaming site, and Wilson is keen to show their variety.
“I think a lot of the jam-band people don’t really know how much we jam and how we try not to repeat songs,” he said. “I was like, ‘We should go there and do three sets with no repeats.’ We have enough material.”
The RoC lineup for the festival includes Wilson and longtime members Tal Pearson on keyboards, and sax player/vocalist Andrew Riordan. Brendan Dillon is on drums and the newest addition is Mathew James, a 16-year-old bassist the group found on Instagram covering their videos. “He knows like almost every single one of our songs better than us,” Wilson said, “and his parents are freaking awesome, they’re Deadheads and supper supportive.”
When Badfish follows with its Sublime tribute, it’s likely Wilson will be back on stage. “They always invite me to jam,” he said. All of the weekend’s performers have more than a musical connection to the band, and that’s the point. Most of the tracks on last year’s Dub Free or Die, Vol. 1 featured guest appearances.
“At this point, I consider the band to be a collective,” Wilson said in an interview last year. Boston reggae star Mighty Mystic, who performs Saturday, appeared on four tracks, and Twiddle’s Mihali, also on the second day’s bill, was on “Arabia,” an instrumental inspired by Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin.
So jamming is inevitable, “but let’s have something where it makes sense,” Wilson said. “I look up to my friends Slightly Stoopid; when I saw them in Boston, they brought up this rapper from Boston, Ed OG, that nobody knows about in the reggae rock scene, and Charlie Tuna from Jurassic 5 is on tour with them, and all the bands are jamming with each other. I like that kind of environment, when spontaneous things will happen that are just here and now to experience.”
Family friend Caylin Costello will open both nights on the side stage, and Wilson is excited the and up-and-coming singer-songwriter is included. “She’s another person that we can bring up and collaborate with in the moment,” he said, “It’s cool, like, she’s been coming to see us since she was a kid, so it’s awesome to see her.”
RoC The Range When: Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m. Where: Marty’s Driving Range, 96 Old Turnpike Road, Mason Tickets: $25 single-day, $60 two-day, $150 VIP at etix.com
A large one-day celebration of Brazilian culture with authentic food options, live music, samba dancing and an inflatable soccer tournament, Brazil Fest has grown significantly since its inaugural event in 2016. The free event returns to Greeley Park in Nashua on Saturday, Aug. 27.
“Last year was huge. I think it was probably our biggest year yet,” said Mariana Silva, who co-organizes Brazil Fest with Bruno D’Britto. “It’s like a day in Brazil, you know, the whole experience [is] like people going to spend a day in Rio without having to travel there.”
According to Silva, the event was originally started as a way for Brazilian people in the area to come together and get to know one another. In 2017, Brazil Fest happened to fall on the same weekend as the Nashua Area Artists’ Association’s annual Greeley Park Art Show, with each event taking place on one side of the park. Many art show attendees since then have returned to Brazil Fest each year, Silva said, turning it into a celebration for the entire community.
Feijão Tropeiro, a traditional dish from Sabor Brasil in Nashua, one of this year’s returning Brazil Fest vendors. Courtesy photo.
At least 12 area restaurants and community members selling different types of authentic Brazilian dishes are expected to attend, Silva said, the largest number of vendors in the event’s history. Gu-La Haven and Sabor Brasil, both of Nashua, are two of the returning eateries, as well as Delicious Bites. Options will include pastel fritos — which Silva equated to Brazilian empanadas — and acarajé, a dish made from peeled beans deep fried in palm oil.
“Acarajé is very unique because you can only find it in the state of Bahia in Brazil,” Silva said. “Not everybody loves it, but the people who do will travel for it. Last year, I had people travel for like an hour and a half just to eat the acarajé, because you can’t really find it anywhere.”
If you attend the festival during lunchtime hours, Silva said, there will be opportunities to order to-go boxes of traditional Brazilian-style barbecue with rice and beans. Coxinhas, which feature fried dough filled with shredded chicken, sauce and vegetables, and molded into the shape of a teardrop, are another featured option commonly consumed as a snack. For sweeter indulgences, there will be brigadeiros, or traditional Brazilian chocolate truffles.
“The brigadeiro is very, very famous,” Silva said. “Every single birthday party as a child in Brazil, you know, you needed to have that. That was more important than the cake itself.”
In addition to the food, there will be an inflatable soccer tournament, plus several live performances on the park’s stage throughout the day. Two DJs and a group of Brazilian samba dancers, dressed similar to those who famously perform in the annual Rio Carnival, will be there.
Capoeira, a traditional Brazilian-style martial art with dance elements, is also part of this year’s performances. Silva said door prizes like gift certificates to participating businesses will be drawn during the afternoon, which all attendees will have a chance to win.
Brazil Fest When: Saturday, Aug. 27, noon to 6 p.m. Where: Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua Cost: Free admission and parking; foods are priced per item More info: Contact event co-organizers Mariana Silva at 438-4263 or Bruno D’Britto at 760-848-4797
Featured photo: A samba dancer (left) at last year’s Brazil Fest in Nashua. Courtesy photo.
