Category: Featured Content

News & Notes 20/11/12

Covid-19 updateAs of November 2As of November 2
Total cases statewide11,32012,699
Total current infections statewide1,4072,057
Total deaths statewide483489
New cases923 (Oct. 27 to Nov. 2)1,379 (Nov. 3 to Nov. 9)
Current infections: Hillsborough County425576
Current infections: Merrimack County192227
Current infections: Rockingham County360497
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

During a Nov. 5 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan provided a public health update on New Hampshire’s ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic. New and active infections of the coronavirus have been on a continuous increase over the last couple of weeks in the state, he said, with seven of its 10 counties — Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Coos, Grafton, Belknap and Stafford — at a substantial level of community transmission. According to WMUR, Gov. Chris Sununu said the state is preparing for what could be a “very aggressive” spike in Covid-19 cases, with New Hampshire potentially seeing 500 to 1,000 new daily cases by the end of the month. He said the state is ready, with PPE, testing, funds and resources, according to WMUR.

During the Nov. 5 press conference, Sununu also provided an update on the status of New Hampshire’s federal CARES act funds, which he said must be spent prior to Dec. 31. More than 4,000 businesses applied for the Main Street Relief Fund 2.0, around 3,000 of which were eligible. Sununu added that around $15 million is still available that has been allocated for the state’s housing relief program. As of Nov. 5, about 2,100 people have applied for and received funds totaling about $5.6 million.

On Nov. 7, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a potential community exposure notice related to a person with Covid-19 who visited the 401 Tavern in Hampton. According to state health officials, the exposure occurred in the eatery’s bar area during the evenings of Oct. 23 and Oct. 24. Anyone who was there on those evenings should monitor for symptoms of the virus and seek testing.

Details of Sununu’s Emergency Orders, Executive Orders and other announcements can be viewed at governor.nh.gov.

Addressing homelessness

On Nov. 5, New Hampshire’s 13 mayors sent a joint letter to Gov. Chris Sununu asking him to make it a top priority to develop a statewide plan that addresses homelessness. According to the letter, homelessness is a crisis in all of the mayors’ communities. “In recent months, in an effort to prevent community spread of Covid-19 and allow for social distancing, shelters have been forced to decompress and reduce the number of available beds,” it reads, though it also notes that the number of people living unsheltered has been increasing even in the years prior to the pandemic. The letter cited a lack of funding and emergency shelter beds in some communities and said that with many homeless individuals living on state-owned properties, the state needs to create and implement a winter shelter surge plan, as well as a comprehensive housing plan that would increase the number of supportive, transitional and affordable housing options for couples, victims of domestic violence, families with children and felons. “Because of a lack of an overarching statewide approach, our communities’ homelessness strategies have been reactive rather than proactive,” the letter reads. “The state must take a role in designing an incident command infrastructure to address homelessness, similar to the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs, to establish a set of metrics to determine success, and implement accountability measures, and progress tracking to ensure positive outcomes.”

On Nov. 8, the Union Leader reported that people have been ordered to leave the homeless encampments on either side of the Hillsborough County Superior Court by Nov. 16 or they will face penalties, and any personal items remaining on the property will be disposed of. The signs that have been posted say camping is not allowed on the property; the Union Leader reported that about 26 tents were set up at the two encampments as of Sunday night. Sununu told the Union Leader that a commission would be “great,” but that he would want one that addressed all of the issues related to homelessness, like mental health, addiction, abuse and neglect and poverty.

Better food

After five weeks of receiving low-quality foods as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Trunk program, the New Hampshire Food Bank now has a new supplier, according to WMUR. New Hampshire’s congressional delegation recently sent a letter to the USDA citing concerns about the product that was being supplied by Delaware-based Vincent Farms. The delegation requested an investigation, and while Food Bank Director Eileen Liponis told WMUR that she doesn’t know what will come of that, “word has gotten out that we were not happy, and this next distributor that has gotten the award is making sure they don’t get themselves in the same pickle,” she said.

SUD relief

More than 20 organizations across the state that provide services to people affected by substance use disorder have received CARES Act funding, awarded by Granite United Way, which was chosen by the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery to receive $750,000 in funding, according to a press release. Granite United Way worked with United Ways throughout the state to identify organizations that will use the funding for people with substance use disorder who are struggling even more during the pandemic. Funding will cover basic needs like food, clothing, transportation and housing. “This has been a great opportunity for all of our United Ways to work together and with our community partners to ensure this funding gets to those who need it the most,” Patrick Tufts, President and CEO of Granite United Way, said in the release. “This support will really help our organization continue to help people struggling with addiction,” said Steve Gadomski of Teen Challenge in Manchester, one of the organizations that received the funding. The funding will run through Dec. 30, according to the release.

Busy day

The state’s Attorney General’s Office, which supports and assists election officials, announced on Monday the results of its Election Day Operations, calling it a successful election that was “the result of extraordinary efforts of thousands of local election officials.” More than 100 attorneys, investigators and staff from the Attorney General’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office and other state agencies covered 305 of New Hampshire’s 307 polling places, with each inspector completing a detailed checklist and working with local election officials to resolve any issues, according to a press release. More than 275 phone calls were made to the Attorney General’s Election Hotline, and “the majority of issues were resolved on Tuesday by working directly with local election officials.” Comparatively, 302 out of 309 polling places were inspected in the 2018 General Election and 185 unique calls were received. In the 2016 general election, only 76 percent of polling locations were inspected, according to the release.

The Ice Castles will return to North Woodstock this year, with ice slides, caves, crawl spaces and fountains as well as new features to promote safety, including a winter light walk and a sledding hill, according to a press release. Construction is scheduled to begin in late November with an opening date anticipated in early January.

The General Court of New Hampshire has created a new video tour that will allow students to virtually tour the Statehouse in Concord, according to a press release. The tour includes the historic Hall of Flags and the Executive Council Chamber and Legislative Chambers, as well as the Statehouse grounds. The link to the tour can be found at gencourt.state.nh.us/nh.

The Girl Scout Discovery Zone has opened at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, offering free special activities each day that it is open (Thursdays through Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.), plus a Girl Scout Scavenger Hunt and information about becoming a Girl Scout, according to a press release from The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

On Oct. 21, Bridges in Nashua moved to a new location at 28 Concord St. According to a press release, the new building will allow Bridges to help more clients who are dealing with domestic or sexual violence.

The source of our pain

We have selected a new president and vice president for the United States and as happy as I am with the results I can say that a lot of places within me hurt. Insights gleaned from this particular election have caused me to pause because they serve as unfortunate reminders of how deep our ache runs.
Where my heart feels pain the most is around racism. Donald Trump did not create this system and, as we work to create a more just society, it’s clear that there is much to be addressed to eradicate the disease that has permeated the fabric of this nation. Although he is not guilty of establishing oppression, I don’t feel as if he ever had a sense of obligation to address it, either. In fact, I believe he intentionally fed the sickness with a toxic, sometimes deadly, dose of lies and “othering.” 
These tactics manifested in a myriad of ways, starting in the executive branch and trickling down to our communities across the country. From locking innocent children away in cages to putting gag orders on those who are working each and every day to bring awareness to the systems of privilege to attempted lynching here in our own state. When you offer cover and opportunity for those most afflicted by addiction to indulge with reckless abandon, there will be consequences.
We, of course, chose to fight with one another in a variety of ways. I am not innocent of this and, looking back, neither am I proud of this. I played along with the game and I’m walking away wounded as I abandoned my dedication to love and connection in a culture that is doing its best to tear us apart.
I try to find not justification but purpose as one of my survival mechanisms. For me, the last four years, in the depths of darkness, the stars shined the brightest. Those stars cannot and will not go away in my life even under a new administration.  
Listening to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and President-elect Joe Biden speak brought me relief but it did not heal the pain. Just as no one person got us here, no one person can lead us out.  We must come together — unified in our purpose — to do that.
The great civil rights activist and icon Ruby Sales was interviewed by Krista Tippett for the On Being radio show where she talked about the collective pain of our nation. She asked all listeners to find the source of the pain and to explore it with curiosity, compassion and love. I can think of no better commitment for each of us to take on in these times.
Allyson Ryder serves in a variety of statewide capacities to address social justice. She can be reached by email at almryder@outlook.com

Sound of experience

Country rockers play Hudson, host song circle

The initials in EXP Band stand for “experienced players” — front man Rob Randlett, bassist Erik Thomas, lead guitarist John Andrews and drummer Curtis Marzerka are all veteran musicians. Their modern country sound, however, arrived a bit late in their careers.

Randlett spent his early years rocking hard, but in 2014 he got some advice from Hillsboro producer Ted Hutchinson that sent him in a southern direction.

“He told me, ‘I know you like doing the rock thing,’” Randlett said recently by phone, “‘but country’s where you need to be, and that’s where your voice suits you. If you do that, you’ll see things will change.’”

Hutchinson had good ears; Randlett guested with Jodi Cunningham’s band a few times, and soon her fans were asking when his band would be coming to town. So piece by piece he put one together and started playing out.

“Everything was modern country,” he said. “Fresh, because it was right on the radio.”

Since then, the group has gigged all over New England, playing NASCAR and Bike Week, while Randlett himself won New Hampshire Country Music Association and national honors — best male vocalist in 2018 and best modern country male and band the following year.

With Covid-19, their schedule has constricted, but EXP is still doing shows. The next one is Friday, Nov. 6, at The Bar in Hudson, a favorite spot for them, Randlett said.

“It’s just a very homey, feel-good type of a place … a small venue, and it’s very relaxing,” he said.

A Nov. 7 date at Concord’s Area 23 has been moved to December, but they will be at the Manchester VFW the following week, on Friday the 13th.

Along with playing Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and Chase Rice covers, Randlett is an original artist. The Army vet’s latest endeavor is a Bluebird Café styled song circle, fittingly happening Nov. 11 at Tower Hill Tavern in Laconia. He hopes this Songwriters Night event will be the first of many.

“We’re just starting out,” he said. “The music industry is tough right now, along with everything else. Because of Covid, they’re not really allowing full bands inside, but there are solo artists some places, depending on the ownership.”

Tower Hill regularly books Randlett and jumped at the chance to host the event.

“As soon as I posted asking, if I did a songwriters night, would anybody want to do that, he was like, ‘I wanna do it here; we have to do it here,’” Randlett said.

All musicians are welcome.

“It’s kind of like a Nashville thing, but it doesn’t have to be all country,” Randlett said. “It could be blues, rock, whatever you want it to be. If there’s some 16-year-old kid that’s a great songwriter, you know, and his mom and dad want to bring him down to show off his talent, that’s cool. It’s all about bringing musicians together again.”

He looks forward to hosting Songwriters Night on Veterans Day, noting that he hopes to draw attention to a holiday that’s often misunderstood by the general public.

“I thought it was a cool day because military is a big part of my heart and my music. To be able to share this on Veterans Day means a lot to me,” he said.

EXP will appear as a full band on Nov. 6, at The Bar. Randlett is optimistic that it’s a harbinger.

“I think things are moving in a positive direction,” he said. “People are now becoming accustomed to what the outlook is when they go out in public [and] I feel as long as you follow the rules and work with the bar owners, music can continue. When things get out of control and people don’t abide by the rules and do the wrong thing, that’s when problems happen.”

EXP Band
When: Friday, Nov. 6, 8 p.m.
Where: The Bar, 2B Burnham Road, Hudson

Songwriters Night
When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m.
Where: Tower Hill Tavern, 264 Lakeside Ave., Laconia
More: Facebook.com/EXPBandNH

Featured photo: EXP Band. Courtesy photo.

On the Rocks (R)& Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (R)

On the Rocks (R)

Nothing happens — but nothing with a Sofia Coppola laid-back charm — in the light dramedy On the Rocks, a movie written and directed by Coppola. Dean (Marlon Wayans) comes home from a business trip, climbs into bed and starts kissing Laura (Rashida Jones). It’s a normal husband/wife moment until she says “hi”and he sort of startles awake a little, says something like “oh” and then collapses asleep. What, Laura wonders, did that mean? Did he not know where he was, not know who he was kissing, not want to be kissing her?
It’s the sort of thing that you might laugh about over breakfast unless, like Laura, you’re already in something of a rut — caught in the repetitive tasks of taking care of their kids and apartment and not making any headway on a book she’s trying to write. And Dean has started a new business where he works all the time and has a hot coworker, Fiona (Jessica Henwick). Then the odd little moment becomes a “sign.”
Both the exact right and exact wrong person to talk this over with is Felix (Bill Murray), Laura’s father. He loves her and says the stuff Laura probably needs to be reminded of — that she’s great, that Dean is lucky to have her, etc. But he also has some not-great history in the fidelity-to-Laura’s-mom department (which Laura has clearly not gotten over) and he enthusiastically embraces the “what’s up with Dean” mystery as sort of a father-daughter project. He suggests tailing Dean and spying on Dean in a variety of ways and while Laura doesn’t 100 percent support the idea she doesn’t completely shut it down, either.
Maybe that all sounds like “something” but it is, like the best Seinfeld plots, nothing, really, in the wider scheme of these characters and this story. Even the “is Dean cheating?” central question feels rather low stakes the way the movie presents it.
There are lots of nice little details in this movie: Laura can’t seem to connect with Dean so she defaults to talking about kid stuff, there is never not a series of things on the floor she feels obligated to pick up, she makes extremely well-labeled folders during a rare quiet moment at her desk in lieu of writing (ahh, trivial organization as a form of procrastination — it accomplishes nothing but it feels so good). This isn’t some momentous examination of romantic turmoil or familial relationships. It’s a collection of little, well-realized moments performed (primarily) by two skilled actors: Jones, who is great at being a person caught in a funk but still capable of being a loving and empathetic person, and Murray, who appears to be having fun. “Dad-ness plus martini” is how I would describe his character. He clearly has bigger flaws — Murray gives us a person who can be light and charming and also exasperating and unknowingly hurtful all in the same scene — but the movie isn’t here to do a deep dive into them.
This movie is awash in crisp-looking cocktails and I sort of feel like a piney gin and tonic is what this movie basically is: refreshing, not too serious, classic and with just the right amount of bittersweetness. B
Rated R for some language/sexual references, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, On the Rocks is an hour and 36 minutes long and distributed by A24. It is available on Apple TV+.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (R)

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat returns to America just in time for, you know, All This in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, the semi-scripted, candid camera sequel to his 2006 film.
As you may have heard, this movie features Rudy Giuliani, who basically walks himself into this elaborate prank for no good reason. Mike Pence also delivers a brief (unintended) cameo during what is apparently a real scene from the February 2020 CPAC event (the Conservative Political Action Conference). News reports from the event suggest that what happens in the film more or less did occur: Borat (Baron Cohen) dressed in a Trump costume and brought his 15-year-old daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova, who is really 24 years old according to media reports and who is getting some Oscar talk? What, 2020?) to give as a gift to Pence. Photos on several news sites show a Trump-figure being marched out of the hall by security while Pence speaks — and, in this movie, we even get clips of Pence’s speech, such as when he talks about how great America is doing at keeping the coronavirus at bay, for extra surrealness.
This gag is part of this movie’s necessarily more plot-heavy story than what I remember in the original film; as is displayed, Borat can’t walk around the U.S. without people trying to get selfies and hear him say “my wife.” So we get a framework that involves Kazakhstan’s leader attempting to get into Trump’s circle of strongman besties by giving Pence a present, originally a monkey but when he doesn’t make it to the U.S. alive, the gift becomes Tutar, the teenage daughter that the long-imprisoned Borat recently reconnected with. Despite Borat’s attempts to shoo her away, Tutar follows Borat to America. When Borat fails at giving Tutar to Pence, Borat decides to try to give her to Giuliani. Along the way are a series of “real” scenes — from interviews to less formal interactions — that feature a lot of people smothering smiles and/or horror in reaction to Tutar (whose initial ambition is to have a fancy “wife cage”) and Borat in a variety of disguises.
I kinda want an oral history for the making of this movie, which seemed to start in the pre-Covid world but ends up deep in 2020 with all the expected mess (internet conspiracies, anti-mask rallies and of course, so very much racism). Some of these scenes are painfully cringeworthy — probably a sign that just in general I’m not one for candid-prank-style entertainment. But there is also just a sense that people were more aware of the gag this time around, though to what degree is unclear — oftentimes the look on people’s faces suggests they know something is up even if they don’t know exactly what. (I don’t know if that makes what happens in some scenes better or worse. Are people hamming it up for a camera they know is there? Or showing their true selves? Or, again, is this whole thing just Not For Me at this point in 2020?)
I especially wanted to know more about Borat’s interaction with the woman to whom the movie is dedicated, Judith Dim Evans, who appears in the movie but has since passed away and whose family sued over the appearance (though the lawsuit has been withdrawn and the case dismissed, according to Hollywood news sites Deadline and Variety). Evans meets a deeply offensively costumed Borat in a synagogue and ends up hugging him (she comes across as kindness personified). There is a website about her story — she was a Holocaust survivor and an educator — which was apparently put up by this movie’s producers, according to Vulture.com. Vulture and Deadline report that after filming Baron Cohen broke character (or had crew members break character) to explain the point of the bit (which, though very Borat-ily done, is an effort to combat Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism). Though I get that it’s not the point of what Baron Cohen is doing, I wish we could have seen some of this post-filming interaction. (Johnny Knoxville included some of the “breaking character” moments in the closing credits of his candid camera-ish Bad Grandpa, which made that endeavor feel more comfortable to me, the viewer. I suspect providing that kind of emotional closure is exactly why Baron Cohen doesn’t include these moments — and, as far as I can tell from news reports, doesn’t tend to ever break character.)
There are funny elements here. For me, the funnier parts were the scripted scenes between Borat and Tutar. While I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around any award chatter for Bakalova, she is a solid component of this film — game and giving a genuine performance of her character. I don’t entirely know what to make of this film or that its final message is the dedication to Evans and urging the audience to vote. I feel like Baron Cohen has things, possibly very earnest things, he really wants to say but I’m not sure this mid-aughts character is the clearest or even the funniest way to do it. B-
Rated R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity and language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Jason Woliner with a screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja &Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (full title) is an hour and 35 minutes long and distributed by Amazon Studios via Amazon Prime.

Featured photo: On The Rocks (R) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (R)

In the kitchen with Alex Waddell

Alex Waddell of Hopkinton is the owner and pastry chef of Crémeux French Patisserie (707 Milford Road, Merrimack, cremeuxfrenchpatisserie.com), which opened in Pennichuck Square over the summer. Crémeux’s concept is modeled after that of a Parisian pastry shop, with a menu of macarons, eclairs, croissants, lemon honey tarts and other classic French pastries, in addition to freshly baked artisan breads, gourmet teas and coffee, and Belgian chocolates shipped from overseas. Originally from Florida, Waddell got his start working at The Grazing Room at the Colby Hill Inn in Henniker as a teenager. He went on to attend an intensive professional program in French pastry at Ferrandi, an internationally recognized culinary arts school in Paris, before later returning to New Hampshire to open Crémeux with the help of his family.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A bowl scraper, because it has so many uses in the kitchen. Honestly, it’s something that I can’t ever see myself not having.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would probably have to be my grandmother’s orange duck. She really influenced me as a kid with her French cooking, and I remember her orange duck was so killer. It was definitely one of my favorite things to eat.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Mint Bistro in Manchester. I love to go there for the sushi, but they do a lot of other dishes really well. It’s a really good restaurant to go out to on a Saturday night.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something in your shop?

I would say Gordon Ramsay. I’m confident enough that he would like my pastries.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

We do a version of a croissant that I love that’s called Kouign-amann [pronounced “queen-a-mahn”]. … It’s made with croissant dough that’s caramelized on the outside … and has a gooey, buttery center. It’s a traditional pastry from the Brittany region of France.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Farm-to-table cuisine is big right now. People are trying to go more local with food, and there are definitely a lot more farm-to-table places popping up.

What is your favorite thing to cook or bake at home?

During the Christmas season, there’s one dish that I absolutely love making, called porchetta. It’s basically a big slab of pork belly with a bunch of aromatic herbs put in.

Dark chocolate crémeux
Courtesy of Alex Waddell of Crémeux French Patisserie in Merrimack

500 grams (about 2 cups) heavy cream
500 grams (about 2 cups) milk
120 grams (about ½ cup) sugar
360 grams egg yolks (18 egg yolks)
400 grams (about 2 cups) 64-percent dark chocolate

If using an electronic scale, weigh the chocolate, then chop into small chunks. Add the chocolate to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside. Weigh milk and heavy cream together in a small saucepan and set aside.
Separate your eggs and add into a medium mixing bowl. Once the yolks have been separated, measure the sugar directly on top of the yolks and whisk quickly until homogenous. Place the milk and cream mixture on a burner set to medium-high heat. Using a rubber spatula, stir occasionally to prevent scorching the milk and cream. Remove from the heat once a very weak simmer has developed. Pour half of the heated milk and cream mixture over the yolk and sugar mixture, being sure to whisk quickly.
Once half of the milk and cream mixture has been poured out over the eggs, return all ingredients to the saucepan. Setting the heat to low, use the rubber spatula to stir in a figure eight motion, constantly scraping the bottom of the saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture up to exactly 82 degrees Celsius (or 180 degrees Fahrenheit). Once temperature has been reached, pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate.
Let it sit for two minutes before mixing with an emulsion blender until smooth. Place plastic wrap over the top (be sure it’s touching the mixture with zero air pockets) and set overnight in the refrigerator to set.

Featured Photo: Alex Waddell

Kiddie Pool 20/11/05

Family fun for whenever

Spend time in nature

Beaver Brook Nature Center in Hollis is offering several outdoor programs for kids that start next week. Natural Wonders for kids ages 2 to 5 (and their caregivers) will be held Tuesdays, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Farm (117 Ridge Road, Hollis). The program will include hikes and stories and costs $36. The Busy Beavers Forest Preschool starts a four-week mini session at Maple Hill Farm on Thursday, Nov. 12, running through Thursday, Dec. 10 (no class on Thanksgiving), from 9:30 to 11: 30 a.m. The cost is $107.50. A Fitness Hiking Club for students in grades 4 through 6 also starts Tuesday, Nov. 10, and will be held at the Beaver Brook Brown Lane Farm (52 Brown Lane) from 3:45 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through Dec. 10 (no hikes Thanksgiving week). The cost is $120. Two outdoor homeschool science classes will start next week, one for ages 6 to 9 that will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, and one for ages 9 through 13 from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. The cost of each class is $100. Register for programs at beaverbrook.org.

Jumping worms!

It’s time for another Super Stellar Friday at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord). On the first Friday of each month, the Discovery Center explores science in a live online program. This month, on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., the program is Invasion of the Jumping Worms, about the “aggressively invasive” species from Asia that has been spreading through the Northeast and Midwest. This event is free, but registration is required at starhop.com.

At the movies

To infinity and beyond! Cinemagic theaters in Hooksett (38 Cinemagic Way; 644-4629), Merrimack (11 Executive Park Drive; 423-0240) and Portsmouth (2454 Lafayette Road; 319-8788) will have special showings of Toy Story (PG, 1995) Friday, Nov. 6, through Thursday, Nov. 19, for $5 a ticket. Other upcoming family-friendly special showings include Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13, 2014) from Nov. 13 to Nov. 26 and The Santa Clause (PG, 1994) from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3. Visit cinemagicmovies.com for times and safety protocols.

Save the date

Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, will make two stops in New Hampshire during his book tour for the series’ 15th title, The Deep End. On Thursday, Nov. 12, at Lincoln Street Elementary School (25 Lincoln St., Exeter) and Friday, Nov. 13, at Rundlett Middle School (144 South St., Concord), from 5 to 7 p.m., Kinney will host Drive-Thru Pool Parties with pool party-themed activities like a lifeguard dunk tank, a tiki hut and an underwater venture. He will also personally deliver signed copies of the book to fans using a six-foot pool skimmer. Tickets cost $14.99. Visit waterstreetbooks.com and gibsonsbookstore.com.

LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) is hosting a Family Bingo Night on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. featuring six rounds of bingo (with one adult and one kid winner per round) and an Italian dinner and a full bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There is a maximum limit of six adults per table, with no more than 10 people, including kids, per table. Tickets are $25 to $33 and can be purchased at labellewineryevents.com.

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