Spend time with animals at some of the farms and zoos in New Hampshire
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
It’s hard to stay upset or stressed when an animal is nearby. That’s the feeling of J & F Farms manager Melissa Dolloff.
“A lot of times it’s just people who might have had a bad day and they stop by,” Dolloff said. “[They] get a breath of fresh air and pet some of the animals and it changes their mood.”
Across New Hampshire, different farms and animal centers are open for adults and children to interact with different animals. Farms and zoos across New Hampshire help people pet, feed and play with a variety of creatures.
Dolloff grew up on J & F Farms and is raising her kids to be the fifth generation of farmers in her family. She said that people need to become more educated about farm animals. She said it’s surprising how many adults don’t know a lot about farm animals.
“Lots of adults don’t even know the difference between a sheep and a goat or an alpaca and llama,” Dolloff said. “You’d be amazed how much people don’t know.”
At The Friendly Farm, farmhand Wyatt Davis said that interacting with animals is more than just fun; it’s a form of healing.
“The affection they show, it’s therapeutic almost,” Davis said. “I think, if you see a goat running around, you can’t help but smile at that.”
He also found that learning about animals has brought him to understand the food he eats. He said that having the connection with the animals helps him feel more grateful for the food on his plate.
“Being able to know where your food comes from and have that connection, in my eyes that’s the most important part,” Davis said.
Dolloff’s kids are older now and she is happy to see them bringing their friends around to spend time walking and taking care of the different animals.
“It’s important for people to get out and visit farms and animals,” Dolloff said. “People need to get the farm-fresh air and enjoy the love animals have to give.”
Farms, Zoos and Animal Activities
Here are a few of the area farms where you can visit with the animals. Know of one not mentioned here? Let us know at listings@hippopress.com.
Appleview Orchard 1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 1 to 9 p.m. Price: Free to visit animals; farm tours are $7 for school-aged children, $8 for adults. Info: applevieworchard.com
Beans and Greens Farm 245 Intervale Road, Gilford Hours: Saturday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Price: Animals are free to visit; other activities are available. Info: beansandgreensfarm.com
Beech Hill Farm 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton Hours: Daily noon to 8 p.m. Price: Animals are free to visit. Info: beechhillfarm.com
Carriage Shack Farm 5 Dan Hill Road, Londonderry Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Price: $8 adults, $6 children up to age 15, free for infants up to age 1, $6 seniors ages 65 and older, $6 active military and veterans Info: carriageshackfarm.com
Charmingfare Farm 774 High St., Candia Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Price: $22 for admission, children under a year are free, members and five guests are free. Info: visitthefarm.com
Educational Farm at Joppa Hill 174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford Hours: Dawn to dusk Price: Free Info: theeducationalfarm.org
Friendly Farm 716 Main St., Dublin Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price: $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for children up to age 12; groups of 15 or more are $6 each Info: friendlyfarm.com
Granite Oak Farm 227 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown Hours: Weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price: $25 for 30 minutes, $40 for 60 minutes of cow cuddling, for people 10 and older Info: graniteoakfarm.com
Heritage Farm 15 Parker Hill Road, Sanbornton Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Price: Free Info: heritagefarm.net
Hidden Hollow Farm 78 Depot Road, East Kingston Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price: $20 per family Info: hiddenhollowfarmnh.weebly.com
J & F Farms 124 Chester Road, Derry Hours: Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price: $5 per grain cup Info: jandffarmsnh.com
Live and Let Live Farm 20 Paradise Lane, Chichester Hours: Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. Price: Free Visit: liveandletlivefarm.org
Paradise Farm 468 Center Road, Lyndeborough Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Price: Free Info: paradisefarmnh.com
Sunnycrest Farm 59 High Range Road, Londonderry Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Price: Free Info: sunnycrestfarmnh.com
Wildlife Encounters 270 Beauty Hill Road, Barrington Hours: By appointment Price: $275 for groups of 15 Info: weecocenter.com
A look at New Hampshire’s world of tattoo artistry
By Katelyn Sahagian and Jack Walsh
listings@admin
Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester When: Friday, July 22, 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, July 23, 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, July 24, noon to 8 p.m. Cost: $15 for a single-day pass, $20 for a two-day pass, or $25 for a three-day pass Visit: livefreeordietattoo.com
On Friday, July 15, the air was buzzing with more than just the whir of tattoo machines at Tattoo Angus and Spider-Bite, Inc., a joint tattoo and body piercing shop in Manchester. Anticipation grew as artists and apprentices scurried across the main floor — those not currently getting inked or pierced looked through flash sheets and pointed out elegantly crafted adornments, occasionally stooping to pet one of the “shop dogs,” a black-and-white-colored pit bull named Bijou.
It’s nearly time for the long-awaited return of the Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo — the 14th annual event is a three-day affair packed with local vendors, contests and live music, returning to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown from Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24.
The largest event of its kind in the Granite State, the expo originally started in 2007 but hasn’t been held since 2019. Organizer Jon Thomas, who is also the owner of Tattoo Angus and Spider-Bite, said he never imagined it would be as successful as it has become.
“An hour before the show, people started piling up and I saw this huge line out there, and that feeling was amazing,” Thomas said. “We had a sold-out show.”
The expo will be a little smaller this time around, Thomas said, but there will still be more than 100 booths set up. Sideshows by Doctor Finnigan’s Circus and burlesque performer Marlo Marquis are also planned, as well as the return of the ever popular pin-up pageant.
“For the tattoo contest and pin-up contests, we went back to the classics,” Thomas said, adding that some past themes have complicated things. “It takes [the models] a lot more work. They all do a decent job, but every time we do a classic pin-up, it goes back four times bigger.”
Artists can participate in different competitions, like Best Cover-up, Best Half-Sleeve and Best Portrait in either color or black and gray. Each of the expo’s three days will culminate with an artist being awarded the Best Tattoo of the Day.
Smaller tattoos like scripts and dates, as well as images chosen from flash sheets, will make up most of the walk-in tattooing opportunities at the expo. Thomas said that a few of the artists will be fully booked for the competitions. He added that even with the smaller number of booths there will be no shortage of artists willing to do some quick work.
Thomas is even hosting a party at Angel City Music Hall, a bar below his shop, with a complimentary limo service to take people from the expo to there and back. There will also be live music, including performances from Bar Hoppers and The Dilemma.
Tattoo by Sean Ambrose
Meet the artist Sean Ambrose, Arrows & Embers Tattoo 117 Manchester St., Suite 3, Concord, 988-6067, arrowsandemberstattoo.com Years of experience: 12 Appointments: arrowsandemberstattoo.com/contact Ambrose started his first apprenticeship at the age of 18. “I knew I was going to be a tattoo artist from an early age,” he said. “It was meant to be.” Having opened Arrows and Embers in 2010, Ambrose has gone on to win awards and accolades, continuing to do what he loves today. As for his style, it’s hard to pin down. “I work in any style that is beautiful,” he said. “I follow my instincts, draw from classical art sources, any piece of art has a recipe, like baking a cake, more so than being a magical experience.”
Tattoo by Jo-Jo Clark
Meet the artist Jo-Jo Clark, Scaredy Cat Ink Tattoo 181 Route 13, Brookline, 347-8980, scaredycatinktattoo.com Years of experience: 17 Appointments: scaredycatinktattoo.com (scroll down to the contact form) Originally from Maine, Clark has been tattooing since 2005, opening Scaredy Cat Ink in 2018. Working in a lot of different styles, she specializes in watercolor tattoos, preferring to do things the old-fashioned way. “I like to sit down with the client and do an in-person consultation,” she said. “I love the opportunity to sit down with them and design it for them in the studio. That way any changes can be made right there, instead of messaging back and forth.”
Tattoo by Sami “Moxi” Monoxelos
Meet the artist Sami “Moxi” Monoxelos, Scorpion Tattooing 10 Manchester Road, Derry, 434-4798, scorpiontattooing.com Years of experience: 4 1/2 Appointments: smoxietattoo@gmail.com (not currently accepting bookings) Monoxelos, who dresses up as her favorite characters from different fandoms and attends different conventions, specializes in doing fandom and anime tattoos. While she isn’t open for booking, her shop takes walk-ins and bookings with other artists.
A rapidly growing culture
Thomas organized the first Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo just one year after tattooing became legal in Manchester. In fact, he was a major part of getting that legislation passed in 2006.
“I tried to tell [the court] how safe shops would be, instead of people getting tattooed in basements,” he said. “I had Spider-Bite already. I showed them my aftercare sheets and other stuff. They finally broke down and gave it to me.”
A major part of tattooing is getting an apprenticeship. According to the Board of Body Art Practitioners, apprenticeships are required in New Hampshire for tattoo artists to become licensed. Apprenticeships must last at least a year, but most will extend for longer until the training artist is confident in their apprentice’s abilities.
Paul Teves of Blue Iris Tattoo in Merrimack has been practicing the art for more than 20 years in New Hampshire. Back then, Teves said, there was a huge social taboo hanging over the heads of artists and people covered with tattoos alike.
“When I first started, [tattoos were] really frowned upon,” Teves said. “I remember when older women would get up and sit on the other side of the bus from me. Now you can’t go [to] the hospital without seeing a nurse with a sleeve.”
Teves will be one of the featured artists at the expo. He said he is glad to see how the art form and its overall reception have evolved tremendously over the last few years.
Tattoo by Abe Hilerio
Meet the artist Abe Hilerio, Tat2abe 100 Main St., Nashua, 341-0145, tat2abe.com Years of experience: 23 Appointments: Made via phone To Hilerio, tattooing is more than just a profession — it’s his passion. He treats every day of work as a chance to better his skills and hone his craft, as well as making the best art he can for his clients. He specializes in black and gray realism tattoos, especially portraiture. Tat2abe, his shop, only accepts clients via appointment.
Abe Hilerio of Tat2abe, a private studio in Nashua, said tattooing has changed drastically since he began back in 1999. His career started in his home state of Massachusetts, where it was illegal for people without medical degrees to tattoo up until the year 2000.
“Back then tattooing wasn’t popular,” Hilerio said. “There were no reality shows, [and] it was more of an underground type of thing. It was still kind of cliché.”
Hilerio gained an apprenticeship by word of mouth — a friend boasted of his talents in illustration — as there was no social media for him to share his work.
Now, Hilerio said that tattooing has grown in acceptance, crediting the popularity of reality television shows. He said they have shaped the current industry and have shown the world the true diversity in art surrounding each tattoo artist and piece.
Hilerio spends hours studying and drawing his designs to perfection for each of his clients. He only takes on one client per day so that he can maintain complete focus.
“Everybody wants custom [tattoos], so we have to sit there and draw, and sometimes we have to figure out what it is the client wants us to do,” Hilerio said. “That takes a lot of time.”
Sami “Moxie” Monoxelos of Scorpion Tattooing in Derry said that in recent years tattoo culture has changed for the better. She started her career as an art student at Maine College of Art before transitioning to skin canvases.
“Almost any tattoo shop that I’ll go into, it doesn’t matter what walk of life, who you are, where you come from, [or] what you identify as, people are super accepting of it,” Monoxelos said.
Lloyd Goodwin of Magic Moon Tattoo in Nashua said that being personable is a huge part of the process nowadays, especially in having recurring clients.
“The business has changed a lot,” Goodwin said. “It used to be that somebody would come in, [and] they’d sit down, be quiet and get the tattoo.”
Originally taking up illustration in his early years, Goodwin worked in retail when he was told that he could make money in tattooing by an admirer of his art. Tattooing quickly became his passion, and he has been giving people permanent art for six years.
Tattoo by Paul Teves
Meet the artist Paul Teves, Blue Iris Tattoo 416 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 505-7701, blueiristattoo.com Years of experience: 23 Appointments: ptevesbookings@outlook.com Teves received his first tattoo at the age of 13 and has been in love with the artform ever since. He began his career as a self-taught tattooer in 1999. A few years later he completed his apprenticeship in Massachusetts under longtime artist Mulysa Mayhem, ultimately returning to New Hampshire to fulfill his dream of owning his own shop. Teves owns Blue Iris Tattoos, where he is also a principal artist. The shop is by appointment only.
Tattoo by Sarah Arnold
Meet the artist Sarah Arnold, Apothecary Tattoo 141 Route 101A, Unit M4, Amherst, 521-7491, apothecarytattoonh.com Years of experience: 8 Appointments: apothecarytattoonh.com/contact/ Arnold, who has been fascinated with art and drawing her whole life, said transitioning to tattooing in 2014 felt like a natural extension of that passion. She opened Apothecary Tattoo in 2020 as a joint tattoo shop and fine art gallery. She specializes in neo-traditional, illustrative, and cartoon tattoos. Apothecary Tattoo is open for walk-ins, as well as booked appointments for larger pieces.
Tattooing trends
While she favors creating unique fandom and anime pieces for her clients, Monoxelos said she has noticed over her four-and-a-half-year career that tattooing trends change frequently. Right now, she is seeing a spike in people requesting floral pieces.
“There’s so much that you can do with it, too. It flows naturally with the body, and it usually looks really good,” she said. She explained that any type of plant life, from forests to flowers, is considered a floral tattoo. “Black and gray floral, color floral, floral with a pet portrait, I’d say, [is] the going trend right now.”
Sarah Arnold, an artist at Apothecary Tattoos in Amherst, said that she’s seen a lot of tattoo trends come from social media.
“On TikTok, there was a girl [with] five butterflies going from her hand up her arm and the amount of people who wanted this tattoo was staggering,” Arnold said. “It was pretty, but I kept thinking, ‘Why do you all want the same thing?’”
Arnold said she has been obsessed with tattoos since she was 18, when she got her first piece done. She has been designing art and inking people since 2014, but said she has never before seen people embracing the art form like they are now.
“Everybody is getting tattoos now,” she said. “Everybody is going straight for hand, neck, face and that used to be the last thing you’d get done. You’d only do those spots when you ran out of space.”
Arnold said she won’t do faces, hands or necks for people unless they are already heavily covered. She said that a lot of young people don’t fully grasp the implications of what having tattoos in those spots could mean in the future.
A piece of advice Arnold has for people who are new to getting tattoos is for clients to not worry about offending artists if they don’t like the stencil. Arnold said that there’s no harm in turning away a drawing, because it’s the client’s body that will be permanently changed.
“Say something when you’re upset with the drawing. We have to look at it for a couple hours. You have to look at it for the rest of your life,” Arnold said. She added that offending an artist might be uncomfortable, but it outweighs the other option. “Their feelings will be fixed in an hour when they’ve forgotten you. You’d be stuck with a tattoo that you don’t want.”
Meet the artist Lloyd Goodwin, Magic Moon Tattoo 38C E. Hollis St., Nashua, 320-9616, magicmoontattoo.com Years of experience: 7 Appointments: form.jotform.com/magicmoontattoo/tattoo Goodwin has been drawing and creating illustrations his whole life. While working in retail he was encouraged to take the plunge into tattooing, and he’s never looked back. Goodwin specializes in neo-traditional but is comfortable with all styles of tattooing. Magic Moon Tattoo does not take walk-in clients.
Tattoo by Dave McCormick
Meet the artist Dave McCormick, Tattoo Angus 179 Elm St., Unit C, Manchester, 935-9398, tattooangus.com Years of experience: 27 Appointments: fleshink@yahoo.com McCormick does a mix of styles but said he specializes in photorealism and more classic styles. His process for designing a tattoo with a client is simple: “They just have to put me on a path,” he said. McCormick had an interesting start to his tattooing career. ”My wife bought me a ‘tattoo starter kit,’ with our tax money that we desperately needed to pay bills that year, and she said, ‘Get good quick,’” he said. “27 years later I’m still doing it.”
When it comes to trends, Goodwin said that there are often waves. He said that a lot of what people consider hot tattoos is based on the art notable celebrities get done.
“Rihanna’s pharaoh bird came out and that really set the trend for sternum tattoos,” Goodwin said. “It’s all based on what people see in the media.”
Goodwin added that now, more people are doing research on who they want to use as an artist rather than walking into a shop and picking the first artist that they happen to speak with.
Birth flowers, mandalas, dates and memorial tattoos take up about 30 to 40 percent of Goodwin’s business. The other 60 to 70 percent, he said, is based on his own creativity — he works with clients to design art that fits their body and will accommodate their special requests.
“People are beginning to see [the value of] going to see a specific artist because of the quality of the work, in comparison to just going everywhere and getting a bunch of work,” Goodwin said. “When I first started in the industry, it was more or less flash tattoos that people were doing.”
Despite the growing demand for custom tattoos, Arnold said that there isn’t any hostility amongst artists that she’s noticed in New Hampshire. She said that she’ll often refer people who are looking to get mandalas done to artists she knows who will excel at the geometric style.
“I feel we’re super lucky to have so many great artists concentrated in such a small state,” Arnold said. She said that there is competition, but it pushes her and other artists to do the best they can. “I feel like the community between artists … [is] not negative and super competitive in a bad way. We’re all proud of the accomplishments of each other.”
Tattooing styles Source: Inked Magazine, inkedmag.com • American traditional: A popular style of tattoo with thick black outlines, a minimal but bold color palette, and iconic tattoo imagery like skulls, snakes, knives, swallows and anchors. • Black and gray: A style of tattooing that only utilizes black ink. The ink is diluted with water to get the gray tones for shading and highlighting. • Cosmetic tattoo: A type of tattoo that is used to enhance features, much like make up. Common types are microblading, which is done to fill out eyebrows, as well as permanent lip and eye liner. • Cover-up: A tattoo designed to hide an older tattoo in the new one. A good cover-up will completely hide the old tattoo through strategic linework and color. • Geometric: A style of tattooing that uses geometric shapes and linework with no shading. Mandalas are a popular form of geometric tattoo. • Illustrative: A style of tattooing that combines aspects of realism and American traditional. It uses bold outlines and realistic shading to depict illustration designs.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Academic improvements
The preliminary data generated by the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System for 2022 has shown some improvement in New Hampshire students’ academic performance levels for the first time since the pandemic. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education, assessment scores, including ones that measure proficiency in English and math, dropped for students in grades 3 through 8 in 2021. This year, scores have improved among grades 3 through 7 and have remained the same for grade 8. “Assessment scores are inching upward and returning to near pre-pandemic levels, but it is clear that there is still work to be done to recover from the academic declines that resulted from Covid-19,” Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release. “New Hampshire has not fully regained ground, but these early signs of improvement are promising.”
Health commissioner steps down
New Hampshire’s Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette has announced her resignation, effective December 2022. Appointed to the position by Gov. Chris Sununu in January 2020, Shibinette has led the Department of Health and Human Services’ response to Covid-19 and regularly accompanied Gov. Sununu at televised press conferences to provide updates on the pandemic. “Covid-19 has been a challenging time for our state, our country, and for health care,” Shibinette said in a statement. “During this time, it has been a privilege serving as your commissioner. The last three years have been incredibly challenging yet equally rewarding.” Gov. Sununu said in a statement he “cannot thank her enough” for her service to New Hampshire over the course of the pandemic. “Throughout her tenure, Lori has played a key role in my administration as New Hampshire’s top health official,” he said. “From the early days of the pandemic to her leadership at New Hampshire Hospital, Lori has earned the respect and trust of New Hampshire’s citizens. I consider her a great friend and wish her all the best in whatever she decides to do next.”
Call for child care workers
A new marketing campaign has been launched by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire to address the state’s shortage of child care care workers. According to a press release, the campaign will utilize a series of eight public service announcements, which will run as television, digital and social media ads, to recruit applicants for various positions in child care facilities throughout the state via the New Hampshire Connections Child Care Job Board. “Family stability across New Hampshire depends on access to child care options that best fit their individual needs,” DHHS Associate Commissioner Christine Santaniello said in the release. “From home-based child care to larger centers, families need quality, fully-staffed child care providers that can meet New Hampshire’s demand.” The campaign is being funded by a portion of the state’s American Rescue Plan Act child care funds.
New crisis line
New Hampshire has implemented a new three-digit dialing, texting and chat code, 988, as a suicide prevention and crisis lifeline. The number will connect callers experiencing suicidal, mental health or substance misuse crises to a national network of more than 200 call centers via the established National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “New Hampshire remains committed to providing streamlined access to mental health support services, and providing on demand assistance through 988 is another positive step in that direction,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. According to a press release from DHHS, the 988 line will augment, not replace, New Hampshire’s Rapid Response system, implemented in January 2022 as part of the state’s 10-year Mental Health Plan, which provides 24/7 mental health crisis services and, when necessary, deploys mobile crisis response teams, to New Hampshire residents experiencing a crisis.
Training for women in government
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation will run “Women Run!” a day-long nonpartisan training program designed to teach New Hampshire women skills and confidence needed to run for state or local political office, on Wednesday, July 27, in Manchester. Participants will learn about the past and current landscape of women’s representation in New Hampshire government and campaigning techniques. The percentage of women in public office in New Hampshire is 37 percent in town offices, 41 percent in city offices and 23 percent in mayorships, according to an email from the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation. Visit nhwomensfoundation.org/womenrun to learn more.
A new New Hampshire Historical Highway Marker has been installed in Carroll, just north of the intersection of Routes 3 and 302 in a tourist section of town known as Twin Mountain, commemorating the glacial boulder where Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, a Congregationalist clergyman, abolitionist, proponent of women’s suffrage and the brother of author Harriet Beecher Stowe, preached his sermons in the late 1800s. It is the 274th marker installed as part of the New Hampshire Historical Highway Marker program, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, which oversees the program.
The Manchester Health Department reopened the public beach at Crystal Lake, located off Bodwell Road in southern Manchester, for swimming after closing it earlier this month due to elevated levels of E. Coli. Water samples will continue to be taken every Monday through Labor Day, with results announced every Tuesday at manchesternh.gov/departments/health/services/water-quality.
Elm Grove Companies will break ground on a new rental housing development, Depot & Main Apartments, at the end of this month at 41 Main St. in Salem, according to a press release. The more than $20 million project is a 74-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Workforce Housing community created to meet the need for affordable rental housing for New Hampshire’s low to moderate income families and workforce. A ceremony will be held at the ground-breaking on Tuesday, July 26, at 10 a.m.
Look up! You just may see a student-built airplane in the skies.
Such a sight is likely to become more common in years to come thanks to an innovative program pioneered by the Manchester School District.
The program involves students at the Manchester School of Technology, the district’s Career and Technical Education Center. (Years ago, it was known as the “vo-tech.”)
The school is well-known for its home-building program: Each year, teams of students build an actual house, complete with plumbing, wiring and so on. When it’s done, the house gets sold.
Three years ago, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, working with educational consultant Tango Flight, approached the school with the idea of doing the same thing but with an airplane.
A student-built plane? What could go wrong?
Three years later, the first student-built airplane — an all-metal Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS two-seat light sport aircraft — is now undergoing final inspection before taking to the skies. Later, the completed airplane will be sold, with the proceeds (about $100,000) to be used to buy the hardware and components for the next airplane.
The net cost to taxpayers: $0.
How is that possible? The nonprofit Aviation Museum raised about $350,000 in program start-up costs from the local business community, with most of the funds coming through the sale of Community Development Finance Authority tax credits. The program will continue to be funded largely through the sale of finished aircraft.
Manchester was only the fourth school district in the nation to attempt a student plane-building project on the Tango Flight model, in which mentors from outside the school district (in this case, volunteers from the Aviation Museum) work with high school students to complete a complex kit-based airplane.
Today, more than two dozen districts around the country are embarking on student plane-building projects using the method pioneered in Manchester. And students are getting hands-on experience essential to building tomorrow’s workforce, in aerospace and many other fields.
Bottom line: The student plane-building project at the Manchester School of Technology is a great example of what can happen when an area’s nonprofit and business community collaborate with local public schools on innovative programs.
Or, to put it another way: when we work together, the sky’s the limit!
Jeff Rapsis is Associate Publisher of the Hippo, and also executive director of the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire.
Though he’s happy a live re-recording of his first two solo albums is doing well, Graham Nash often wishes that the music on 1971’s Songs For Beginners and 1974’s Wild Tales didn’t still resonate the way it did in the Watergate era. A vocal opponent of the previous administration — he has an upcoming record with a track called “Golden Idol” aimed at proponents of the “Big Lie” — Nash isn’t optimistic about the country he became a citizen of in 1979.
“I’m pleased that my music seems to have lasted a couple of decades, but at the same time it’s a pain in the ass that we have not learned from our history,” he said by phone recently. “I think what I’m seeing now, unfortunately, is the fall of the American Empire. I think that we are completely divided as a people, and a divided nation can’t last very long.”
Nash is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, with his first band The Hollies, and with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Despite their acrimonious 2016 breakup, the supergroup reunited earlier this year to demand that Spotify remove their music in protest of Joe Rogan, who frequently hosts vaccine deniers and Covid-19 skeptics on his podcast.
In early July, CSNY was back on Spotify. The interview with Nash happened earlier, on June 24. At that time, he spoke of steps taken by the streaming service that hint at reasons for the group’s eventual reversal. “They have put genuine Covid-19 information on a million podcasts and that is a great step forward,” he said. “They’re now recognizing that people like Rogan and his guests were spreading misinformation and disinformation.”
Last November, Nash published a book of photographs called A Life In Focus. His passion for pictures dates back to the first one he took, of his mother, in 1953, and learning darkroom technique as a child from his father. The shot of his mom, in repose and unaware of her son’s camera, is among the collection’s best.
Pictures of icons like Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, even ’60s supermodel Twiggy, are equally candid. It’s the only way, asserts Nash. “Having had probably hundreds of thousands of photographs taken of me, I know … the face that you put on because you want to look cool,” he said. “I give that face sometimes when people are taking pictures of me [and] I don’t like that face. So my best portraits of people are taken when they have no idea that I’m there.”
Nash also has a skillful eye for street scenes, like a shot of a well-dressed woman staring into the window of an expensive jewelry store as a homeless man sleeps mere inches from her. “I use a camera to capture surreal moments that happen in front of me,” he said. “Which they seem to do a lot.”
That said, he believes social media trivializes the art. “There are [millions of] smartphones in this world and maybe only a hundred photographers,” he said, adding, “I don’t use my camera as my memory. I don’t want a picture of me in Mickey Mouse ears at Disneyland, I don’t take pictures that match my couch, or kittens with balls of wool. I don’t take landscapes — I’d rather remember the landscape.”
He loves gear — an IRIS 3047 printer he bought in 1989 for his company Nash Images is now in the Smithsonian — and he also enjoys playing with the process of photography. There’s a distinctive shot of fellow musician Dave Mason in the book that’s basically a smudged Polaroid, taken in his suite at New York’s Plaza Hotel in the mid-1970s. “In those days, if you had a ballpoint pen, a sharp instrument or something, you could move the emulsion around,” he explained. “As a matter of fact, Elton John just bought that picture.”
Politics are intertwined with both his music and photography. In the Wild Tales track “Prison Song,” Nash alludes to his father spending a year in high-security lockup for unknowingly buying a stolen camera from a co-worker to give him as a gift. It made Nash a lifetime foe of unjust authority, along with his ire at being spanked by his school principal for ditching class to buy Bill Haley concert tickets in 1958.
With him at the Haley performance was best mate Allan Clarke; the two would later start The Hollies. Years later, they’re working together again, on Clarke’s solo record. “I’m very pleased to be able to sing with Allan after all this time,” Nash said. “He had to leave the Hollies because he had throat trouble, but it may have been psychosomatic … his excuse to be able to leave. Because right now, he’s singing very well.”
Nash has no regrets about skipping school that day. The experience both confirmed, to quote his 2013 autobiography, that “justice was malleable and subjective … too much politics involved,” and launched him on a lifetime of music. “The truth is … I’ve lost houses, and I’ve lost relationships; I have not lost my ticket to that show. I have it in my wallet as we speak.”
An Evening with Graham Nash When: Wednesday, July 20, 8 p.m. Where: Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia Tickets: $50 to $100 at coloniallaconia.com
Featured photo: Graham Nash. Photo by Amy Grantham.
Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival returns
After the Rock’n Ribfest ended its 16-year run offering ribs, other barbecue favorites, craft beer and live music, new organizers continued the tradition in 2019 under a new name. Pandemic woes then shelved the event for two consecutive years, but the Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival — now a fundraiser for the Merrimack Rotary Club — is back.
The event is scheduled for Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17, at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, featuring a diverse mix of longtime “ribbers” and new food and beverage vendors.
It was traditionally held over Father’s Day weekend; a collective decision among Ribfest vendors and organizers was made to push this year’s event back a few weeks to the middle of July.
Scenes from the 2019 Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival. Photos by Gary Reynolds.
“When we had to take two years off due to Covid, we did lots and lots of introspection on what worked and what didn’t work … because we had plenty of time to figure those things out,” organizer Jeremy Garrett of the event management company J2L Events said. “The top suggestion was to move the date, and hopefully get out of the wetter spring weather. … Being the same weekend as [Laconia] Bike Week was also thought to impact attendance negatively.”
As in previous years, attendees can expect to find barbecue options from local and nationally renowned eateries. Some of this year’s participating vendors — like Armadillo’s BBQ and Austin’s Texas Lightning BBQ — are coming from as far away as Illinois and Texas, respectively. They’ll be offering half and whole racks of ribs, in addition to pulled pork sandwiches, burgers and an array of house-made sauces and rubs. A few local barbecue favorites — like Up In Your Grill, a food trailer based in Merrimack — also join in on the fun.
But there’s also lots more to discover at Ribfest beyond just barbecue — in fact, Garrett said that was a chief focus for organizers when the event changed hands three years ago.
“We’ve got some of the carnival-type foods, the french fries and the fried doughs … and we’ve also got a whole diverse selection of food trucks that are coming in,” he said. “All in all, it’s around 25 food and dessert vendors … so hopefully everyone can find something that they like.”
Donali Food Truck, for instance, is a newcomer to Ribfest. The Nashua-based food truck features lobster rolls and Italian sausage subs as its cornerstone offerings, cooked with fresh ingredients alongside additional menu items like barbecue chicken sandwiches and smash burgers.
This is also the debut event for Carla’s Coffee, which is in the process of rebranding from Jayrard’s Java Cafe. New owner Carla Reardon recently purchased the trailer from founder Jared Turgeon. Carla’s Coffee will be offering a variety of coffees and espresso-based drinks at Ribfest using Cafe Britt coffee from Costa Rica, in addition to some smoothies and lemonades.
Other trucks will include Friends 4 OBA, brought to you by the owners of OBA Noodle Bar in downtown Exeter — they’re known for their authentic Asian fusion street food options. The Seacoast Pretzel Co. truck will also be there with its fresh Bavarian-style soft pretzels, while Cheese Louise, based in Conway, will offer creative takes on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.
A full schedule of live music is planned throughout all three days, with a total of 11 acts each performing roughly 90-minute sets. Garrett said music styles will run the gamut from hard rock and blues to indie, pop, country and reggae, and nearly all are songs original to the artist.
Attendees are welcome to bring folding lawn or camp chairs and blankets to the festival to enjoy the music. While there isn’t a children’s area in the traditional sense as in previous Ribfest events, a few participating local organizations are providing family-friendly activities of their own. The Daniel Webster BSA Council’s Mobile Base Camp, for instance, will feature an inflatable archery range, Spikeball, soccer darts and a backyard bass fishing activity. The Rugged Axe, a Manchester-based ax throwing venue, is also expected to bring its mobile trailer.
The 5-mile race that was normally held on Sunday during Ribfest weekend is also returning, and there will be face painting courtesy of Trading Faces and free demonstrations from Bedford Martial Arts Academy. A limited number of VIP tickets, sold on all three event days, grant attendees access inside Anheuser-Busch’s Biergarten with a greater variety of beverage options.
Participating food and beverage vendors • Armadillo’s BBQ (Illinois, find them on Facebook) • Austin’s Texas Lightning BBQ (Texas, austintexaslightning.com) • Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ (New Jersey, smackyourlipsbbq.com) • Canterbury Kettle Corn (Connecticut, find them on Facebook) • Carla’s Coffee (Nashua, carlascoffeenh.com) • Cheese Louise (Conway, eatcheeselouise.com) • Dandido Sauce (Manchester, dandidosauce.com) • Donali Food Truck (Nashua, donalifoodtruck.com) • Friends 4 OBA (Exeter, friends4oba.com) • Holly’s Kona Ice (Pelham, hollyskonaice.com) • Jeannette’s Concessions (Hudson, find them on Facebook) • Phily’s Good Eats (Candia, find them on Facebook) • Saucehound BBQ (Watertown, Mass., saucehoundbbq.com) • Seacoast Pretzel Co. (Rollinsford, seacoastpretzelcompany.com) • Sillie Puffs (Manchester, silliepuffs.com) • Simply Cannoli (Douglas, Mass., simplycannoli.com) • Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (Nashua, find them on Facebook) • Thee Taco Dude (Sterling, Mass., theetacodude.com) • The Travelling Foodie (Nashua, jrmcateringllc.com) • Trolley Dogs (Framingham, Mass., find them on Facebook) • Up In Your Grill (Merrimack, upinyourgrill.com) • Wild Bill’s Soda (Waterford, N.Y., drinkwildbills.com)
Live music schedule Friday, July 15 • James McCarthy: 4:30 to 6 p.m. • Chris Fits Band and Ken Clark: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 16 • Gadabout: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. • Best Not Broken: noon to 1:30 p.m. • Ben Cote Band: 2 to 3:30 p.m. • Nick Drouin: 4 to 5:30 p.m. • The Gravel Project: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 17 • Supernothing: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. • Lexi James: 1 to 2:30 p.m. • Feverslip: 3 to 4:30 p.m. • Southern Yankee: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival When: Friday, July 15, 4:30 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Where: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack Cost: Online tickets purchased in advance are $12 for adults, $10 for veterans and seniors over 60, and $5 for kids ages 6 to 12. At the gate, tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for veterans and seniors over 60, and $6 for kids ages 6 to 12. Kids ages 5 and under are free. VIP tickets are also available this year, for $27.50 in advance and $35 at the gate (if available) — that grants you access to the air-conditioned Biergarten lounge with an increased beverage variety. Visit: greatamericanribfest.com Event is rain or shine. No pets, weapons or outside food or beverages are allowed, except for one sealed bottle of water. Premier parking is available onsite at $20 per day. Parking is also available across the street at Elbit Systems (220 Daniel Webster Hwy.) for $10 per day. There will be no shuttle services this year.
Featured photo: Scenes from the 2019 Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival. Photos by Gary Reynolds.
