Category: Featured Content

Creative gifts

Perfect presents for the art-, science- and nature-lovers in your life

Art and craft shops and holiday markets are full of unique gifts for art-lovers, and, for art-makers, art and craft studios sell gift certificates that can be used for all kinds of classes and workshops, many of which have in-person and remote options. You can get your budding musician a gift certificate or package for private lessons in all kinds of instruments at a music school. Performing arts venues offer gift certificates that can be put toward tickets for any show, as well as memberships, which come with all kinds of exclusive benefits for a theater enthusiast. If your gift recipient is more into nature or science, there are gift certificates and memberships for them, too.

Holiday art and craft markets/exhibits

You’ll find one-of-a-kind gifts like jewelry, woodwork, pottery, fiber art, paintings, photography and more at these holiday art and craft markets and special exhibitions.

• The Warner Historical Society has a virtual holiday shop online now at warnerhistorical.org/store, with curbside pickup on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Upton Chandler House Museum (10 W. Main St., Warner). The shop features hand-painted holiday ornaments, calendars, mugs and drinking glasses, T-shirts, books, jigsaw puzzles and more, plus a holiday raffle. Call 456-2437 or email info@warnerhistorical.org.

• Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) presents its annual “Sleighbell Studio” exhibit now through Dec. 12. It features a curated collection of fine art and crafts affordably priced for holiday gift giving. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• Two Villages Art Society and the Hopkinton Historical Society present “Home for the Holidays: an Art Show & Sale” now through Dec. 20 in Contoocook and online. The show will feature all kinds of art, including oil and watercolor paintings, ceramics, tapestry, woodworking, wearable art, book making and more, created by local artists and artisans. The show will be held in person at the Bates Building (846 Main St.; masks required) on a drop-in and by-appointment basis and virtually at shop.twovillagesart.org. Show hours at the Bates Building are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• The Seacoast Artist Association presents its holiday exhibit, “Big Gifts in Small Packages,” now through Dec. 26, at 130 Water St. in Exeter. The exhibit features a variety of artwork priced under $100 for gift buying. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.

• Creative Ventures Gallery in Milford presents its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact,” virtually now through Dec. 31. The exhibit features small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Holiday Fair is being held virtually now through Dec. 22, with curbside pickup at the historic Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fair features seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, stained and fused glass, mixed media, jewelry and more by more than 40 juried artisans and craftspeople. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• Wrong Brain (55 Third St., Dover) is having its ninth annual “Holidaze Bizaare” alternative craft fair now through Dec. 30, with fair hours Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. It features art, apparel, jewelry, ceramics, stuffies, candles, candy and more by dozens of emerging local artists. Virtual shopping with curbside pickup is also be. Call 834-9454 or visit wrongbrain.net.

• The New Hampshire Art Association hosts its holiday exhibition, “This Merry Moment,” online and at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through Jan. 2. The exhibit and sale features a variety of artwork and greeting cards created by NHAA members. Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment; Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 431-4230 or visit nhartassociation.org.

• Pop-up holiday shop Concord Handmade is open now at 2 Capital Plaza in downtown Concord, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It features handmade gifts by artists from New England and beyond. Visit concordhandmade.com.

Art and craft shops

Stop by these art and craft shops, which sell handmade items by local artists and craftspeople year round.

• Currier Museum of Art gift shop (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org, open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (nhcrafts.org):

Concord (36 N. Main St., 228-8171, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Hooksett (530 W. River Road, 210-5181, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Nashua (98 Main St., 595-8233, open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Meredith (279 Daniel Webster Hwy., 279-7920, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.)

• Manchester Craft Market (Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.)

• Spriggs Shoppe (Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen, 975-0015, twiggsgallery.wordpress.com, open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.)

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m.)

• Wild Little Art Shop (Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com, open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Private shopping hours for groups of five or less are available by reservation on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.)

Art and craft classes/workshops

For a more hands-on art gift, try a gift certificate for an art or DIY craft studio, where the recipient can participate in various session classes, one-day workshops and paint-and-sip events. Some studios also offer online instruction and take-and-make kits.

• AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester, 573-9662, arworkshop.com/manchester) Offers DIY workshops and take-home kits for creating custom wood signs, canvas pillows, centerpiece boxes, canvas tote bags and more.

• The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 913-9217, thecanvasroadshow.com) Offers DIY workshops and take-home kits for creating custom wood signs, canvas paintings, sea glass art and more.

• Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford, 672-2500, creativeventuresfineart.com) Offers various weekly art classes and one-day workshops for all experience levels.

• Currier Museum of Art, Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) Offers seasonal weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media.

• Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) Offers weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media, starting in 2021.

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (98 Main St., Nashua, 595-8233; 279 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-7920, nhcrafts.org) Offer weekly classes and one-day workshops for a variety of crafts, starting again in 2021.

• Muse Paintbar (42 Hanover St., Manchester, 421-6500, musepaintbar.com) Offers paint-and-sip workshops in person as well as take-home kits with instructional videos.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) Offers private parties, classes, workshops and camps for all ages and experience levels in pottery, clay, painting, stained glass and more.

• Time to Clay (228 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 888-0482, timetoclay.com) Offers in-studio pottery workshops and take-home kits for all ages.

• The Voice of Clay (16 Meetinghouse Hill Road, Brookline, 672-2626, voiceofclay.com) Offers in-studio and online pottery classes for all ages and experience levels.

• You’re Fired (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, No. 101, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; yourefirednh.com) Offers open studio times and materials for pottery and mosaic projects.

Music lessons

• Nashua Community Music School (5 Pine St. Extension, Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org) Offers in-person and remote private lessons for all ages and experience levels in piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, viola, cello and percussion; music therapy sessions and instrument rentals.

• Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) Offers in-person and remote private lessons for all ages and experience levels in woodwind, brass, percussion and string instruments, as well as voice, music theory and music composition.

• Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) Offers private lessons, remotely only until further notice, for all ages and experience levels in all instruments and voice, as well as chorus and ensemble opportunities.

Shows

These performing arts venues have several gift options. You can buy someone tickets to a particular show, or let them choose their own shows with a season package or general gift certificate. If you’re looking for a larger gift for someone who frequents the theater, consider a membership package. There are usually different tiers to choose from, with perks like reserved seats, access to pre-sales, discounts on tickets, admission to members-only events and more.

• Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., and Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) Features traveling theater shows, dance performances, musical and comedy acts, film screenings and more. The 2021 schedule includes comedian Juston McKinney, Celtic Woman, Queen and Eagles tribute bands, the Capital Jazz Orchestra performing music of Frank Sinatra, That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody and more.

• Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2315, hatboxnh.com) Features live music, theater, comedy and more. The schedule for 2021 is TBA.

• Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) Features shows by its own professional and youth and teen performing companies as well as visiting theater, music, dance and comedy acts. The schedule for 2021 is TBA.

• The Music Hall (Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., and Loft, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) Features live music, theater, comedy, on-screen events, literary events and more. The 2021 schedule includes the Portsmouth Symphony, comedian Kevin Nealon, Giraffes Can’t Dance – The Musical and more.

Science, nature & history

If you’re looking for a gift outside of the arts, think about a gift certificate or membership for a science, history or nature center.

• Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) A museum dedicated to the science, technology, history and culture of aviation, with interactive exhibits and educational programs. Members receive a 10-percent discount at the gift shop, a monthly e-magazine, a quarterly newsletter and invitations to special events.

• New Hampshire Audubon (Massabesic Audubon Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, 668-2045; McLane Audubon Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org) A wildlife sanctuary and nature center with live animals, exhibits and educational programs. Members receive discounts on NH Audubon camps, programs and Nature Store purchases; a monthly electronic newsletter; invitations to members-only events and more.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) A museum focused on technology, engineering, mathematics and more with interactive exhibits, demonstrations and educational programs. Members receive priority admission and discounts to special programs; a discount on a child’s birthday party; 10 percent off purchases at the gift shop; a members-only newsletter and more, depending on the package.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com) A museum focused on astronomy and aviation with interactive exhibits, simulations, an observatory, a planetarium and more. Members receive free admission to exhibit halls, Super Stellar Fridays series and regular planetarium shows; an e-newsletter; discounts on workshops and programs; discounts at the gift shop and more, depending on the package.

• Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum) A museum dedicated to Manchester history, particularly the history of the Amoskeag Millyard. Members receive unlimited visits to the museum, free or discounted admission to special programs and events, invitations to members-only events and more, depending on the package. The museum is also selling original, limited edition brass-plated holiday ornaments that celebrate Manchester’s history.

• New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord, 228-6688, nhhistory.org) Members receive free admission to exhibits and the research library, free or discounted admission to special programs, invitations to members-only events, a subscription to the biannual Historical New Hampshire magazine and more, depending on the package. The museum is also selling bobbleheads of famous figures from New Hampshire history, such as the sled dog Chinook, John Stark, the Old Man of the Mountain and others.

Featured photo: “Sleighbell Studio” at Twiggs Gallery. Courtesy photo.

Orchestrating a comeback

Symphony NH presents virtual holiday pops, monthly concerts through May

After its 2019-2020 season was cut short in the spring, New Hampshire’s oldest professional orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, is returning to a regular schedule of shows — albeit virtually — beginning with its holiday pops concert, which will be recorded and livestreamed from St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Nashua on Saturday, Dec. 12.

“It’s a lot different from what we had in mind, but at the same time we’re fortunate that we can still perform live music in some way, and that we can provide some work for our musicians,” said music director Roger Kalia, who joined Symphony NH in the fall of 2019. “That’s rare right now, because most orchestras have canceled or postponed their seasons. We’re one of very few orchestras still performing during this time.”

Since musical performances in New Hampshire are currently limited to no more than 15 musicians in a shared space, Kalia said, he decided to feature the symphony’s brass ensemble for the holiday pops.

“I think brass has become synonymous with the holidays,” Kalia said. “There is, at least for me, just a real connection between brass and holiday music, because when I was growing up I played in brass choirs and brass quintets during Christmastime, and I remember those times very fondly.”

The musicians will perform at a safe distance from each other with bell covers on their instruments, a new Covid-era accessory for brass and woodwind musicians that acts as a “mask” covering the opening of the instrument from which aerosol would be projected.

“When [Covid] first happened, we knew that any instrument with a bell would be a real superspreader and that we would have to limit their involvement,” Kalia said. “Then these bell covers came out and we said, ‘This is great. The sound might be a little softer, but at least we can incorporate them now.’”

The holiday pops concert program will include holiday favorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as well as sacred works like “O Holy Night” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” performed in “a variety of different styles and moods,” Kalia said.

“It’s going to be a fresh take on the traditional holiday repertoire,” he said. “It’s not just classical music; there are also hints of jazz, pop, big band, you name it.”

After the pops, Symphony New Hampshire will continue to perform once a month, virtually until it is safe to perform in person, through May. The following show will be “Mozart Flute Concert, Golijov, and Piazzola” on Saturday, Jan. 30, featuring Symphony NH’s principal flutist, Kathleen Boyd.

“I’d be lying if I said that I don’t miss having the full orchestra,” Kalia said, “but one of the silver linings of that is when we have less musicians we’re able to put more musicians in the spotlight and in soloist roles, which is really exciting.”

February’s show will center on a new hour-long work by American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider that Kalia described as “Radiohead meets Bjork” in that it combines classical music with elements of indie pop and electronic music.

Another perk of the virtual concerts is that with videography they can create a more intimate experience for the audience than a live concert can, Kalia said. Various camera angles will be used and close-up shots of the musicians will be shown throughout the livestream.

“You’re going to see the orchestra up close and personal,” he said. “You can see the musicians’ fingers and faces and emotions as they play.”

Symphony NH concerts beyond February are still in the works, and the 15-musician limit has made developing the programming a challenge, Kalia said, but a welcome one.

“Everything has had to be reimagined,” he said. “Smaller groups [of musicians] means we’ll be doing mostly smaller repertoire and chamber repertoire — a variety of new music that we don’t normally do, and we’re excited about that.”

Symphony NH presents Holiday Pops
When: Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual livestream via YouTube with a shared link
Cost: Minimum donation of $10 per household
More info: Visit symphonynh.org/events/holidaypopsnashua or call 595-9156

Art

Exhibits

• “SLEIGHBELL STUDIO” Exhibit features a curated collection of fine art and crafts affordably priced for holiday gift giving. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). On view now through Dec. 12. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “BIG GIFTS IN SMALL PACKAGES” Artwork priced under $100. Presented by the Seacoast Artist Association. On display now through Dec. 26. 130 Water St., Exeter. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org.

Fairs and markets

• VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SHOP The Warner Historical Society presents an online shop at warnerhistorical.org/store featuring hand-painted holiday ornaments, calendars, mugs and drinking glasses, T-shirts, books, jigsaw puzzles and more, plus a holiday raffle. Curbside pickup on Sat., Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat., Dec. 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Upton Chandler House Museum (10 W. Main St., Warner). Call 456-2437 or email info@warnerhistorical.org.

• “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: AN ART SHOW & SALE Features all kinds of art, including oil and watercolor paintings, ceramics, tapestry, woodworking, wearable art, book making and more, created by local artists and artisans. Up now through Dec. 20. In person at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook; masks required) on a drop-in and by-appointment basis and virtually at shop.twovillagesart.org. Show hours at the Bates Building are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Visit twovillagesart.org.

• THE CRAFTWORKERS’ GUILD HOLIDAY FAIR Virtual shop features seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, gourmet treats, woodworking, stained and fused glass, mixed media, jewelry and more. Now through Dec. 22, with curbside pickup at the Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• HOLIDAZE BIZAARE Alternative craft fair features art, apparel, jewelry, ceramics, stuffies, candles, candy and more by dozens of emerging local artists. Wrong Brain (55 Third St., Dover). Now through Dec. 30, with fair hours Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Virtual shopping with curbside pickup will also be available. Call 834-9454 or visit wrongbrain.net.

Special events

• NHAA 80TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY New Hampshire Art Association hosts a silent art auction fundraiser. Bidding runs through Dec. 11. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Featured photo: Symphony NH. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 20/12/10

Covid-19 updateAs of November 30As of December 7
Total cases statewide20,99425,816
Total current infections statewide5,1455,386
Total deaths statewide526566
New cases3,396 (Nov. 23 to Nov. 30)4,822 (Dec. 1 to Dec. 7)
Current infections: Hillsborough County2,2462,015
Current infections: Merrimack County462703
Current infections: Rockingham County1,1181,296
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

In line with the CDC’s updated Dec. 2 guidance for quarantining, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan announced during a Dec. 3 press conference that the required quarantining period for people in New Hampshire who have potentially been exposed to Covid-19 has been decreased from 14 days to 10 days. If someone has not experienced symptoms after the 10th day, the quarantining period can end. However, because of the continued rates of community transmission in the state, Chan said the state is not adopting the CDC’s option to allow people to end quarantining early with a negative test result. “If we were to start implementing a test out of quarantine option, the risk of missing somebody with Covid-19 and of spreading it … within our communities increases even further,” Chan said, “and that is not acceptable to us at this point in time.”

Later in the press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu reported that the first doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be arriving “very, very shortly” to New Hampshire. “The Pfizer vaccine will be the first one to arrive in the state of New Hampshire, sometime probably in the third week of December, with the Moderna vaccine to arrive likely sometime in the fourth week of December, early in that fourth week,” he said. The first doses will primarily be distributed to health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.

On Dec. 5, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive virus cases. At least eight people who have tested positive for Covid-19 visited Filotimo Casino & DraftKings Sportsbook in Manchester between Nov. 19 and Nov. 29. At least nine people who tested positive visited MacDougall’s Tavern in Keene between Nov. 20 and Nov. 24, and at least two people who tested positive visited the Chop Shop Pub in Seabrook during a live music event on the night of Nov. 21. Anyone who visited either of the three businesses on any of those days should be monitoring symptoms and should seek testing.

On Dec. 7, state health officials reported 1,045 new positive test results of Covid-19, the greatest number in a single day to date.

Also on Dec. 7, Sununu announced on his Facebook and Twitter pages that a member of his staff has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Sununu, the individual was last in the governor’s office on Dec. 2. “Contact tracing found only one close contact within the office, who is currently quarantining,” Sununu said. “I will continue to monitor for symptoms, as will all other members of my staff.”

Finally, Sununu has joined several other governors in urging Congress to pass a new Covid-19 relief package immediately, according to a press release.

School funding report

Last week the Commission to Study School Funding released its final report, which includes policy recommendations for the 2021 legislative session. The commission was established in 2019 and was appropriated $500,000 for comprehensive research and public engagement processes, according to a press release. “For the first time in decades, this Commission engaged a national research team with expertise in education, public policy, and data analysis to help us understand the problem,” Commission Chair Representative David Luneau said in a statement. According to the press release, student outcomes “vary widely” based on the amount spent per student, as well as unique student needs and the characteristics of each school district. “For New Hampshire to meet its constitutional responsibility where all students have equal opportunity to an adequate education, its state aid distribution funding formula needs to be altered. Currently, most state aid is allocated to districts as a flat universal cost per student. The state can more effectively use its education funds by distributing higher portions of state aid to districts with greater student needs and less capacity to raise funds due to lower property valuations,” Sen. Jay Kahn said in a statement. The report proposes an Education Cost Model that would “assist state budget decisions regardless of the amount of funding distributed.”

DCYF Data Book

The state Division for Children, Youth and Families has released the second DCYF Annual Data Book, which shows that, for the first time ever, DCYF’s child protection workforce is approaching national caseload standards, according to a press release. Right now, the average number of assessments per Child Protective Service Worker is 16 — down from 90 in 2016. Recent legislation has funded more CPSW and supervisor positions, and DCYF’s staff now includes the largest number of CPSWs and supervisors ever, the release said. The Data Book also shows that there has been a reduction in the number of children in out-of-home care, more children being cared for in their own homes with their own families, more foster homes available, and, for the first time since 2015, fewer assessments involving caregivers struggling with substance use disorder, according to the release.

Manchester is holding its first Holiday Lights Contest this year, with anyone interested in participating asked to fill out a registration form prior to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, at manchesternh.gov. According to a press release, all registered lights displays will be included in a Manchester Holiday Lights Map. Any Manchester resident can vote online starting Monday, Dec. 14, and there will be a Virtual Holiday Lights Tour online as well.

Jack Barry of Bedford is being recognized for his work with the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where he volunteers as the build manager for a student plane-building program that the museum hosts in partnership with the Manchester School of Technology. According to a press release, Barry, 72, is being honored with an Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from VolunteerNH in the senior category.

Make the most of the shortest day of the year with a Winter Solstice Luminary Walk, being held Sunday, Dec. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Beaver Brook Nature Center in Hollis. There are six time slots for groups of 10 to 12 people, and the cost is $12 per person. Register at beaverbrook.org.

Last week, the City of Nashua held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dr. Crisp Elementary School and turned on the school’s new 534-panel solar array. According to a press release, that solar array, along with the 1,760 panels that were just installed on the roof of Fairgrounds Middle School, is part of the city’s transition to 100-percent clean energy. The two projects were completed at no cost to taxpayers by ReVision Energy, and they are the first public schools in the state to get all of their annual electricity needs from solar power, the release said.

No Grinch this year

For more years than I can remember, at this time of year someone within earshot would say, “Christmas carols so soon? It’s the day after Thanksgiving and the carols have started. Far too early.” That always struck me as a little Grinch-like. This year, however, no one has uttered those words. Instead, there seems an almost universal haste to bring on the holiday season.

Our favorite nursery and hardware store reports their stock of wreaths, garlands, lights, candles and festive decorations is nearly sold out. Drive through neighborhoods after dark and more houses than usual seem festooned. And while many of us are staying away from retail shops for health and safety reasons, seasonal shopping is at a brisk pace online as witnessed by the UPS, FedEx, Prime and USPS trucks out and about.

We should not be surprised at ourselves this year. As we enter the 10th month of mask-wearing, social distancing and cabin hibernation, we are looking for the comfort of those seasonal traditions that were commonplace before the pandemic.

Across cultures worldwide, regardless of their religions, rituals bring meaning to ordinary time and action. They lift us out of the commonplace by changing what we see, hear, taste and smell. In short, rituals of whatever kind link the present with the past, whether it is our tribe’s, family’s, community’s or our very own. And we seem to need them most when the world around us seems dark and possibly even dangerous.

For centuries and in many cultures the winter solstice (which occurs this month) has been seen as a significant time and has been marked by festivals and rituals. It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the sun. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.

With the pandemic death toll in our country now approaching 280,000, we are truly in a very dark time. And while the promise of effective vaccines offers a light ahead, as does the solstice promise the return of the sun, we seek some comfort in rituals of this season and trust they will bolster our hope for better times.

So this year, whatever festival we observe, we are likely to do so more thoughtfully and with greater intensity. As much as we may trust in science, we also take comfort in our rituals.

Hybrid ha-ha

Dual platform comedy show

On more than one level, Mike Koutrobis knows the strange reality of entertainment in the Covid era. Most Sundays he’s on the sidelines of New England Patriots home games, doing various jobs, from camera assistant to holding a sound dish, for whatever network is broadcasting the game. Right now, the stands are largely empty as fans watch the action safely from home.

“They pump in crowd noise. It’s an illusion,” he said. “It’s weird, but amazing to be there.”

The veteran comedian found a similarly novel way to share his act. For an upcoming show at Zinger’s in Milford, he’ll share the stage with Kelly MacFarland, as a live audience of a dozen or more people watches along with a virtual crowd. The latter will face Koutrobis from two giant flat screens in the back of the room.

“I’m literally looking at the Zoom crowds as if they’re in the audience,” he said, likening the experience to watching the opening credits of The Brady Bunch. Hecklers aren’t a problem, but crowd work isn’t impossible. “You can go, ‘Hey, left corner with a weird couch.’ … You can use it in your act, and it feels like you’re interacting with them.”

How to talk about the virus is “a million-dollar question,” he said. Comics are obliged to say something about it, but the truth is people come to comedy shows to escape that. It’s a high-wire act.

“I think the big phrase is making people feel OK that they’re not the only ones going through it — here’s how to think about it in another way,” he said.

Still, the pandemic gave Koutrobis plenty of new material.

“One of my first jokes is not even a joke,” he said. “I said, people lost a lot — jobs, family and friends. I’ve lost something very dear to my heart, and that’s the ability to button my pants since April.”

On the other hand, Koutrobis’s act has always focused on relationships, evolving from dating to marriage and parenthood. The quarantine simply added another wrinkle.

“I’m 50 years old with an 18-month-old kid, and I’m stuck in the house, so I’ve got a lot of that to go off,” he said. “I don’t care how much you love somebody, if you’re stuck in the same place, you gotta learn to adjust. So I have jokes showing my frustration but also how we’re making it work.”

Koutrobis was one of the first comics to work after quarantine ended in May, playing the kickoff drive-in show at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, an experience he described as “disconnected. … I didn’t feel the flow like I usually do when I’m doing it every weekend.”

Later, shows got more comfortable.

“I was able to hook up with Amherst Country Club, and I found a couple of breweries,” he said. “People brought lawn chairs and I set up a portable stage; that way, people can sit as far away as possible. It started becoming … I’ll never say normal, but almost normal. We had enough people in the room or in the grass to at least feel like a crowd was there.”

He’s had his share of surreal moments, however, like one show done at a Milford retirement home as a favor.

“It really was only like 12 people, all sitting in a huge room, 15 feet away from each other,” he said. “I’m at the front on the stage, but because of the place I was in I had to wear my mask. So I’m telling jokes to senior citizens who can barely hear in the first place, with a muffled mask on.”

That’s not to say Koutrobis wouldn’t do it again.

“These are the things we’ve had to adjust to,” he said. “It’s a lot, but I can’t not perform. So I kind of take what I can.”

Mike Koutrobis & Kelly MacFarland
When: Friday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m.
Where: Zinger’s, 29 Mont Vernon St., Milford
Tickets: Live $20 and Zoom $10 at tinyurl.com/yy8sjsdn

Featured photo: Mike Koutrobis. Courtesy photo.

Happiest Season (PG-13) & Superintelligence (PG)

Happiest Season (PG-13)

Hulu offers a solid bit of Christmas content in the streaming-service-holiday-movie competition with Happiest Season, a sweet, genuinely fun and ultimately emotionally rich holiday love story.

Abby (Kristen Stewart) hasn’t gotten too jazzed about Christmas since losing her parents at age 19 but when her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) invites her home to her parents’ house for Christmas, Abby is genuinely excited. She even buys an engagement ring and plans to ask Harper to marry her, possibly Christmas morning, possibly even going real old-school and asking Harper’s dad for his blessing.

This would come as a surprise to Ted (Victor Garber), Harper’s dad, who doesn’t know Harper and Abby are together or even that Harper is gay. Harper has told her family, including mom Tipper (Mary Steenburgen), that Abby is her (straight) roommate who just needs a place to go for the holidays. Abby is horrified to hear all of this, particularly as she hears it in the car when the couple is practically at the parents’ house, but she decides to go along with it for Harper’s sake.

She quickly realizes that Harper’s fear of coming out to her parents is only part of the family tension. Harper is hyper-competitive with her oldest sister, Sloane (Alison Brie), a mom of two kids who runs a business with her husband, Eric (Burl Moseley), but who is constantly catching shade from her parents about giving up a career as a lawyer. Harper’s middle sister, Jane (Mary Holland), is perpetually overlooked and underestimated. Tipper is freaking out about her extremely fancy and involved Christmas Eve party — even more so this year because Ted is running for mayor and hoping to impress a big donor (Ana Gasteyer). What exactly Tipper’s and Ted’s damage is that has caused them to pit their children against each other and make them feel like big life issues are better kept quiet (even before Ted started running for mayor) the movie never says. But basically, this family is high-strung.

I usually do not love this kind of movie, the The Family Stone-ish type family-gets-together-for-holidays story, because they usually push the limits of how normal humans act to such a degree that I find it somewhat unwatchable. I always find myself thinking “hey, grown adults, you can leave this horrible situation, or not come at all, or get a hotel room and come for the meals but leave in between.” Here, the movie makes most of the crazy behavior make sense, at least within the logic of the movie — the secrets the sisters keep from each other, Harper’s paralyzing fear of her parents, Abby’s hurt reaction to Harper’s behavior but reluctance to give up on Harper. (Maybe not the parents. I’ve read some criticism of this movie which is essentially “what is with these parents?” and there really is no sense-making reason for people who end up where these people end up to act this way in 2020 but I guess you just have to accept certain elements of extreme character stasis followed by sudden growth for this kind of story, just as you have just sort of go with the idea that Harper deeply loves Abby but would put her through all this.) There are very “holiday movie” moments — these movies seem to always feature a fight involving a Christmas tree — but there is some very recognizable human emotion happening, particularly with Abby. The movie doesn’t turn Abby into a doormat or let Harper off the hook (at least not entirely) for the way she treats her, while still giving us the happy beats you need in a movie like this.

I realize I am very late to this party but Kristen Stewart is great — she’s good with the emotional stuff and even better in the comedy moments (a scene where she briefly has to interact with Sloane’s kids called to mind her excellent “Duolingo for Talking to Kids” Saturday Night Live commercial skit). She and Davis have solid chemistry (though not quite as good as Stewart and Aubrey Plaza, who shows up as Harper’s first girlfriend and is a delight). Steenburgen, Garber, Brie and Holland are good supporting players, offering their own moments that fill in whole sides of their characters with just a look or a line reading. Other standout supporting actors include Daniel Levy as a friend of Abby’s and even a brief scene with Timothy Simons as a security guard.

With genuine romance, actual humor and a lot of solid family stuff, Happiest Season is a holiday treat. B

Rated PG-13 for some language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Clea DuVall with a screenplay by Clea DuVall & Mary Holland, Happiest Season is an hour and 42 minutes long and distributed by TriStar. It is available on Hulu.

Superintelligence (PG)

An A.I. picks an average human to teach it about humanity so it can decide whether or not to “Clorox wipe the entire planet and let it start over” in Superintelligence, the best of these Ben Falcone-directed, Melissa McCarthy-starring comedies.

And that’s not a backhanded dig. While not quite as sharp or as bold as McCarthy’s best work, Superintelligence is light and fun and with just the right amount of smart.

What started as a Teddy Ruxpin-ish stuffed animal thing that taught kids to read has somehow morphed into a sentient intelligence that is in, as Carol Peters (McCarthy) quickly learns, everything from computers and phones to her rice cooker and alarm clock. Super Intelligence, as it calls itself, sounds like James Corden to Carol, because of her James Corden fandom (and because Corden does most of its vocal work here), and briefly Octavia Spencer to Dennis (Brian Tyree Henry), her best friend who works at Microsoft and is the person Carol tells after she “meets” the Super Intelligence. It tells her about its recent sudden sentience and its “meh” take on humans. Its dilemma: Should it help humans fix our problems or enslave us or just get rid of us altogether. It has decided to watch Carol to try to figure out what makes humans tick and, to see her response to a variety of situations, it gives her things — a fancy car (that it controls), a fancy new house, a bunch of money and a foundation that she can use to give money to good causes.

Perhaps most importantly, it gives her a push to find George (Bobby Cannavale), her ex-boyfriend, and try to put things right with him. They were apparently very much in love but Carol had what sounds like a career/life crisis and decided to change everything — focusing on doing good in the world and leaving George in the process. We quickly see that he hasn’t ever gotten over her and she very much still loves him but George happens to be just days away from moving to Ireland as part of a year-long teaching fellowship. Super Intelligence nevertheless pushes her to ask him out on a date and patch things up — whatever that means for their future, if there even is A Future.

Meanwhile, Dennis contacts the government even though Super Intelligence told his Microsoft team to back off (but with a “lighthearted” reference to War Games, so you can see why Dennis may not want to listen). The U.S. and the international community work together to find a way to “trap” Super Intelligence before it can “play a game” with the world. Thusly do we also meet the FBI agents (Ben Falcone, Sam Richardson) who spend time tracking Carol’s interaction with Super Intelligence and the U.S. president (Jean Smart), who feels like one of those Shmillary Shminton movie presidents that showed up in films in, like, 2017 and 2018.

This movie plays to all McCarthy’s strengths: believably conveying empathy, physical comedy, doing “regular person in a crazy situation” (as in Spy), being believably awkward and charming at the same time. She is generally someone I just enjoy watching, almost regardless of the quality of the material she’s given, but here she’s got good material — good, if maybe not the “great” of Spy or The Heat.

The movie is also just a solid comedy overall — broad but with strong bits (a job interview scene early in the movie featuring Jessica St. Clair and Karan Soni is almost completely irrelevant to the movie but is also just goofy fun). I also like what the movie does with George. He isn’t a tough guy or a pushover or a performative do-gooder or a fantasy boyfriend. He seems like, at least for a broad comedy, something approaching a normal human — one who has certain life ambitions, who still loves his ex but who was hurt by her and yet still hasn’t let that make him a jerk. He seems like, I don’t know, an adult. Carol also seems like an adult. I mention that because maturity often feels like a goal and not a pre-existing condition in a movie like this and it was just nice to see.

Superintelligence probably isn’t the smartest comedy I’ll watch all year but, as a bit of fun entertainment during a holiday weekend, it was absolutely satisfying. B

Rated PG for some suggestive material, language and thematic elements, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Ben Falcone and written by Steven Mallory, Superintellegence is an hour and 46 minutes long and distributed by New Line Cinema. It is available on HBO Max.

Featured Photo: The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

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