A nearly 40-year-old playwright feels stuck in her career and is facing life turmoil in The 40-Year-Old Version, a delightful comedy on Netflix.
Radha (Radha Blank, who also wrote and directed this movie) won a playwrights’ “30 under 30” award — but that was more than a decade ago. Now she’s pushing 40 and still struggling to “make it,” paying the bills by teaching a play-writing class to teens. She begs her best friend and agent Archie (Peter Kim) to get her most recent play, Harlem Ave., a shot at being produced by someone who will pay serious money. He gets her an invitation to a party to meet with J. Whitman (Reed Birney), a producer with cash but with a history of preferring stories that are what Radha calls “poverty porn.”
While Archie struggles to foster a Whitman/Radha partnership after their initial bumpy meeting — things take a turn when Whitman suggests Radha write his planned Harriet Tubman musical — a creatively wrung-out Radha considers returning to her teenage writing roots: hip-hop. She finds D (Oswin Benjamin) to make the beats to go with her lyrics and records a track, hoping to build the project into a mix tape. She might be hesitant, a bit rusty, but Radha clearly gets something from working on rhymes that she isn’t getting from her other work. D sees something special in her work and invites her to join in at an open-mic night. He also, a-hem, sees something special in her and while Radha clearly feels their age difference (he’s 26), she is also drawn to this quiet artist.
We see Radha blossom with rap; it seems to give her a way to express her frustrations and feelings that she can’t do in her other jobs. But she struggles with the urge to “stay in my lane” as she explains at one point. There is money and opportunity in letting J. Whitman and the white director he picks essentially gentrify her Black-characters-focused play about Harlem. But the rawer, more honest stories she tells in her lyrics are not a path to career stability — or even a clear path to career fulfillment, as we see Radha doubt herself even with this medium she enjoys.
And through all of this, we see her avoid calls from her brother who is cleaning out their mother’s apartment. Herself an artist, Radha’s mother recently died and clearly Radha is still figuring out how to handle this.
This movie is deeply charming. Without reminding me of any specific film, it gave me serious mid-1990s indie movie vibes. Like some of those movies, this one has occasional rough edges — but not many, and the overall tight focus of the story and understanding of its central character makes up for any flaws. The 40-Year-Old Version, with its scenes of walking and talking and its central character filled with relatable frustration and weary humor, is lovely. This movie is full of nice detail-moments that help build the real world of who Radha is and what it means to her to be almost 40.
The way we see Radha — presented as someone who is smart and talented but also grieving and struggling — work through this life rut is really engaging. Radha Blank, the real-life actress, is a magnetic person who can convey a lot with just her face (a few times she looks directly at the camera and the moments are not just nice comic beats but also create a real kinship with the viewer). She makes Radha, the character, feel like a fully formed real person, which makes her difficulties and her moments of happiness hit harder. A-
Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, some drug use and brief nudity, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Written and directed by Radha Blank, The 40-Year-Old Version is two hours and four minutes long and distributed on Netflix.
Matt Berry and Lauren Foster Berry of Milford are the owners of Dahlia Restaurant (dahlianomadic.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram), a series of New England-inspired farm-to-table pop-up dinners they launched last month. Named after the couple’s daughter, Dahlia held its first dinner at Greenleaf in Milford on Sept. 27. A second event followed a week later, at The Birch on Elm in Manchester. Dahlia’s next event, a Halloween-themed dinner, is scheduled for Oct. 25 at Noodz on Elm Street in Manchester. Collaborative dinners are also planned for Nov. 15, with Camacho Knives & Leather in Manchester, and Dec. 6, with Dunk’s Mushrooms & Foraging in Brentwood. Previously, Matt and Lauren both worked at Greenleaf — he as chef de cuisine and she as a pastry chef.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
Lauren: Spoons, in different shapes and sizes, are essential for us, not only for cooking but also for plating. Finding a good spoon to cook with reinvigorates the passion for what we do.
What would you have for your last meal?
Matt: … All of our favorite bad foods. Smash burgers, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, strawberry milkshakes, things like that.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Matt: Definitely Otis [in Exeter]. [Owner and chef] Lee Frank is a really good friend of mine, and he’s been a great mentor for me as well. I worked under him as the sous chef. … Lee changes his menu every week, so going to eat there is kind of like putting your faith into his hands, which is an ideology we want to reflect in Dahlia. His clientele really trust his talent as a chef.
What celebrity would you like to see attending one of your dinners?
Matt: [Chef] Sean Brock, hands down. His passion for preserving crops and utilizing classic ingredients really inspired me on a personal level.
What is your personal favorite thing to cook?
Lauren: Mine has always been caramel corn. My earliest memory of being in the kitchen was with my mom, who would make big batches of it for friends and family in our area. The smells of popcorn and caramel are still really special to me and remind me of when I fell in love with cooking for the first time.
Matt: I always tend to come back to New Nordic cuisine. One thing we put on the menu a couple of times at Greenleaf and at Otis was aebleskiver, which is almost like a pancake dumpling cooked in a cast iron pan with divots in it. I also love gravlax, which is cured salmon.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Lauren: The farm-to-table trend is definitely really prevalent here right now. Over the last decade, so many more restaurants have focused on local ingredients, and customers have really embraced that as well. Patrons want to hear about the relationships you have, not only with the food but with the people growing it.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Matt: I’m really passionate about making a really good bread. We have a couple of sourdough starters, and we both really like to experiment with different styles.
Lauren: For me, every time I’m cooking at home I always want to make soup. I like to eat soup all year round.
Birch flour biscuits Yields about 12 medium biscuits
250 grams (or about 2 cups) all-purpose flour 100 grams (or about ¾ cup) birch bark flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon local maple syrup 2 teaspoons salt 85 grams (or about ⅓ cup) butter 177 grams (or about ¾ cup) buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set aside birch flour and combine rest of dry ingredients, whisking to combine. Using box grater, grate cold butter. Add to dry ingredients. Using hands or a food processor, mix together until butter is pea-sized and mixture looks like coarse wet sand. Whisk together birch flour and buttermilk in separate bowl. Drizzle over the top of butter and flour mixture, then gently knead to combine, being careful not to overwork dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface and work dough only until it comes together to form a rough ball. After sprinkling the surface of dough with flour, roll it out using a rolling pin to form a rectangle. Fold this in half, rotate rectangle 90 degrees, then flatten dough back out with heel of hands to not overwork dough and to keep biscuits tender. Repeat, folding, turning and pressing the dough back out three times. Using hands, press dough out to form one-inch-thick rectangle. Using two-inch round cookie cutter coated with flour, cut out biscuits and transfer to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve warm. To mill your own birch flour: Collect birch bark from white birch tree (only peel bark from recently fallen trees or collect pieces that have shed naturally — cream-colored pieces that are still pliable and not grey or brittle, and that are free from rot or bug holes). Submerge strips of bark in water. Bring to a boil; simmer for two hours. Dehydrate strips in the oven at the lowest setting overnight or in a dehydrator. Mill strips into flour in a food processor. Let spin until the bark has become very fine, then sift through a fine mesh strainer.
Farmers markets • Concord Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street in Concord (near the Statehouse), now through Oct. 31. Visit concordfarmersmarket.com. • Contoocook Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon, at 896 Main St. in Contoocook, outdoors through at least Oct. 31. Find them on Facebook @contoocookfarmersmarket for updates. • Henniker Community Market is Thursdays, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Henniker Community Center (57 Main St.), through Oct. 29. Find them on Facebook @hennikercommunitymarket. • Milford Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 300 Elm St. in Milford through Nov. 21. Visit milfordnhfarmersmarket.com. • Nashua Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at City Hall Plaza (229 Main St.), through Oct. 18. Visit downtownnashua.org/local.
Featured Photo: Matt Berry and Lauren Foster Berry
On the menu of nearly every seafood restaurant and Irish pub in New Hampshire, fish & chips — featuring battered and deep-fried whitefish, usually haddock or cod, with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce — is a pair of quintessential New England comfort foods. Local chefs and restaurateurs talk about the way their fish & chips are prepared and how they put their own unique spins on the fried classic, from the type of fish to the batter they use.
Fresh catch
Haddock is far and away the most prevalent fish used for fish & chips in the Granite State. Janet Johnston of The Lobster Boat in Merrimack said not only is it a common whitefish found in the Northern Atlantic, but it’s also a great option due to its leanness and sweet flavor. The Lobster Boat gets fresh fish deliveries six days a week, its haddock already deboned and skinned.
“It holds together when you cook it and comes out real tender and flaky, making it really nice for fish & chips,” she said.
While cod is also an acceptable option, Johnston said its thicker and firmer texture compared to haddock makes it a better fish for grilling than frying.
Eric Griffin of Grill 603 in Milford, which also uses fresh New England haddock for its fish & chips, had been using cod before coming to New Hampshire four years ago. He previously owned and operated a restaurant in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia.
“In the South you really can’t get good fresh haddock,” Griffin said. “The natural sweet flavor and flaky texture of the fish, in my opinion, is superior to cod when you cook it just right.”
How the fish is cut up and portioned will depend on where you go. Some restaurants, like Surf in Nashua and Portsmouth, and Hooked in Manchester, serve up one large filet of haddock. Griffin said he likes to prepare it at Grill 603 a little differently.
“We actually cut ours into one- to one-and-a-half-ounce sized pieces, which allows the fish to cook very quickly and evenly,” he said. “A lot of people that come into the restaurant and order it sometimes aren’t prepared for that, but when they take a bite, it’s all over.”
More diverse than the fish itself is the way it’s battered and fried at each eatery in the state. The Lobster Boat, according to Johnston, has used a yellow corn flour-based batter for decades, while at Grill 603 Griffin has his own batter he gets imported from North Carolina.
“The batter we use is super light and flavorful, and very fine, which is why we cut up the fish the way we do when we fry it,” he said. “We also batter each portion to order.”
Michael Lyle, corporate chef of Michael Timothy’s Dining Group, said a tempura batter with gluten-free rice flour and water is used for the fish & chips available at Surf.
In Concord, The Barley House has its own curry beer batter for its fish & chips. Chef Jon Frobese said beer sourced from Concord Craft Brewing is added to the eatery’s tempura batter, as well as some curry powder to enhance its flavor and Smithwick’s Irish ale for added color.
A fishy history
The origin of fish & chips as we know it today can be traced back to mid-19th-century England — the National Federation of Fish Friers recognizes it as “the undisputed national dish of Great Britain” and a “cultural and culinary symbol” of the country, according to its website. Exactly when and where the first plate of fish & chips was ever consumed is where things get, well, fishy. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, an encyclopedia edited by Alan Davidson and published by Oxford University Press, claims of the dish’s invention have been made in both London and Lancashire, some 200 miles to the northwest, around the year 1860, although fried fish and cooked potatoes had both existed separately for a time before. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Culinary & Menu Terms, compiled by Rodney Dale, identifies “chips” as an English colloquial term for french fries.
Pretzel crusted fish & chips from Backyard Brewery & Kitchen. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.
From the late 1800s through about World War II, Davidson writes, the number of fish & chips shops steadily grew across England and Ireland by the thousands. Some merchants, he added, attempted to package and sell fish & chips in used newspapers as a way to keep costs down, although this practice was largely phased out by the 1960s for sanitary reasons.
Chipping in
Almost every New Hampshire eatery offering fish & chips will serve you the fish with a side of french fries, and usually a small bowl of coleslaw and tartar sauce for dipping.
The Lobster Boat, Johnston said, uses a soybean oil that’s changed out every day for frying. The coleslaw is also homemade every morning.
In Nashua, The Peddler’s Daughter hand-cuts all its own fries using fresh Idaho potatoes. Chef Jeff DiAntonio said each serving of fish & chips also comes with two jars each of house-made ketchup and lemon tartar sauce.
Just like with its haddock, Surf prepares its fries in a gluten-free-friendly deep fryer, serving its fish & chips with a side of house tartar sauce.
“We make our own mayonnaise, whipping egg yolks with olive oil, and then we fold in some onions, capers and parsley,” Lyle said.
Grill 603 also makes its own coleslaw and tartar sauce, Griffin said.
“We actually use dill relish for our tartar sauce, which gives it a nice tart, zingy flavor,” he said.
Where to get a plate of fish & chips
From house-battered haddock or cod to hand-cut fries and homemade tartar sauce, here are some restaurants, brew pubs and other businesses in southern New Hampshire that offer their own unique takes on fish & chips.
• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, 943-7443; 110grill.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, featuring North Atlantic cod fried in seasoned flour and served with french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• 1750 Taphouse (170 Route 101, Bedford, 488-2573, 1750taphouse.com) offers fried beer-battered haddock with hand-cut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.
• Auburn Tavern (345 Hooksett Road, Auburn, 587-2057, auburntavern.com) offers fresh fried haddock with french fries and coleslaw on its seafood menu.
• Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545, backyardbrewerynh.com) uses pretzel-crusted haddock for its fish & chips, which is served over hand-cut fries with pickle slaw and handmade tartar sauce.
• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) offers fish & chips featuring haddock fried in a curry beer batter and served with french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• The Beach Plum (3 Brickyard Square, Epping, 679-3200; 16 Ocean Blvd., N. Hampton, 964-7451; 2800 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 433-3339; thebeachplum.net) offers fried haddock with french fries, coleslaw and a dinner roll that’s available as a smaller basket or a larger dinner size.
• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) offers fish & chips on its house specialties menu, with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Cactus Jack’s Grill & Watering Hole (1182 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-7800, cactusjacksnh.com) offers Jack’s fish & chips on its house specialties menu, featuring fried haddock, fries, fried onion, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Casey Magee’s Irish Pub & Music Hall (8 Temple St., Nashua, 484-7400, caseymagees.com) offers Guinness-battered fried cod for its fish & chips entree, served with house fries, homemade coleslaw, tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.
• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwestgrill.com) offers haddock fried in a tempura batter for its fish & chips, which are served with fries, onion rings, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Clam Haven (94 Rockingham Road, Derry, 434-4679, clamhaven.com) is expected to remain open for the season through Oct. 31. The eatery offers several fried fish plates like haddock, clams, scallops, and lobster tails, served with french fries, onion rings and coleslaw.
• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Dr., Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) offers fish & chips on its lunch menu, featuring haddock with a tempura breading, house fries, coleslaw and remoulade.
• Cork N Keg Grill (4 Essex Dr., Raymond, 244-1573, corknkeggrill.com) offers fish & chips, hand-breaded and served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Diz’s Cafe (860 Elm St., Manchester, 606-2532, dizscafe.com) offers fish & chips that feature deep fried and breaded Atlantic haddock, served with french fries and house-made tartar sauce.
• Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar (17 Depot Road, Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com) offers deep fried and lightly breaded haddock on its entree menu, served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Farm Bar and Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com) offers fish & chips that feature more than half a pound of haddock per order, fried and lightly breaded, and served over a bed of waffle fries and house-chopped slaw.
• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) uses beer-battered local whitefish for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) uses beer-battered haddock filet for its fish & chips, which are served over pub fries with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Fody’s Great American Tavern (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015; 187½ Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946; fodystavern.com) uses beer-battered cod for its fish & chips, which are served with hand-cut fries and tartar sauce.
• The Foundry Restaurant (50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com) offers tempura-battered fish & chips with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com) offers the Greek fish & chips, which feature beer-battered haddock over Greek fries, topped with arugula, caper and lemon butter.
• Goldenrod Restaurant (1681 Candia Road, Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com) offers a haddock plate on its entree menu, served with french fries and coleslaw.
• Grill 603 (168 Elm St., Milford, 213-6764, grill603.com) uses fresh New England haddock for its fish & chips that is dry breaded Carolina style and served with gourmet fries and coleslaw.
• Holy Grail Food & Spirits (64 Main St., Epping, 679-9559, holygrailrestaurantandpub.com) offers golden fried beer-battered haddock loins, served with homemade chips.
• Hooked Seafood Restaurant & Ignite Bar & Grille (110/100 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-0064, hookedonignite.com) offers fish & chips that feature deep fried haddock, french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• Jamison’s (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) offers fresh haddock for its fish & chips, which include hand-cut fries, slaw and house tartar sauce.
• Johnson’s Seafood & Steak (1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-7300, find them on Facebook @johnsonsnorthwood) offers fish & chips that feature hand-battered haddock filet and homemade tartar sauce.
• Lakehouse Tavern (157 Main St., Hopkinton, 746-1800, lakehousetavern.com) offers beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, with fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Lobster Boat Restaurant (453 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-5221; 273 Derry Road, Litchfield, 882-4988; lobsterboatrestaurant.com) offers fish & chips available in small or large sizes on its menu, featuring golden fried haddock with a side of coleslaw.
• The Lobster Claw (4 S. Main St., Derry, 437-2720, lobsterclaw2.com) offers a variety of fried seafood dinners, with options like haddock, flounder, clams, scallops and more. Each dinner is served with french fries and coleslaw.
• Main Street Grill and Bar (32 Main St., Pittsfield, 435-0005, mainstreetgrillandbar.com) uses beer-battered fried haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com) offers a variety of fried seafood plates in its own homemade batter, with options like haddock, shrimp, scallops, clams and oysters. Each is served with fries and slaw, and there are optional replacement sides like onion rings, Cajun fries and sweet potato fries.
• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) uses red ale-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House (393 Route 101, Bedford, 488-5975, murphystaproom.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, which feature Samuel Adams-battered haddock, house fries, toasted fennel slaw and tartar sauce.
• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) uses beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with seasoned french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Newick’s Lobster House (317 Loudon Road, Concord, 225-2424; 431 Dover Point Road, Dover, 742-3205; newicks.com) offers a variety of fried seafood plates, served with either chips or fries, including haddock, scallops, clam strips and coconut shrimp.
• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) offers beer-battered fish & chips, which feature fresh haddock loins cut up in house and fried, then served with house cut fries, homemade lemon tartar sauce and ketchup, and malt vinegar.
• The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) offers fish & chips that feature hand-breaded haddock and are served with french fries, coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce.
• Rocco’s Pizza Bar & Grill (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 577-9866, roccospizzanh.com) uses hand-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries and coleslaw.
• The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com) uses beer-battered haddock filets for its fish & chips, which are served with shoestring fries, house slaw and tartar sauce. You can also switch out the fries for roasted root vegetables or smashed potatoes.
• Shopper’s Pub + Eatery at Indian Head (18 Lake Ave., Manchester, 232-5252, shoppersmht.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, which include lightly battered haddock served with fries and slaw.
• Stark House Tavern (487 S. Stark Hwy., Weare, 487-6002, starkhousetavern.com) uses beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with hand-cut fries and slaw.
• Surf Restaurant (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 334-9855; surfseafood.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, featuring haddock filet fried in a crispy tempura batter, and served with coleslaw and fries.
• T-Bones Great American Eatery (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100; 404 S. Main St., Concord, 715-1999; 39 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677; 1182 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-7800; 311 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-3444; t-bones.com) uses crispy haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Tailgate Tavern & Marketplace (28 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 580-2294, tailgatetavernnh.com) uses North Atlantic haddock filets for its fish & chips, which are hand-dipped in a house made tempura batter and golden fried, then served with fries and coleslaw.
• Tandy’s Top Shelf Pub (1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com) offers a fried haddock platter on its entree menu, served with fries and coleslaw.
• The Town Cabin Deli & Pub (285 Old Candia Road, Candia, 483-4888, towncabin.com) offers fish & chips on its seafood menu, featuring deep fried and battered haddock filet served with coleslaw and hand-cut fries.
• The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery (58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com) offers buttermilk fish & chips with fries, slaw and New England tartar sauce.
• Zachary’s Chop House (4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 890-5555, zacharyschophouse.com) offers lightly fried fish & chips with fresh cod.
Why the drought will continue, and how to save water
According to the United States Drought Monitor’s most recent data on New Hampshire (released Oct. 6), 21.99 percent of the state is experiencing extreme drought and 73.07 percent of the state is experiencing severe drought. Stacey Herbold, manager of the Water Conservation and Water Use Registration and Reporting programs at New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and a member of the Drought Management Team, talked about how the drought has affected the state and what residents can do to conserve water.
What impact does a drought have on New Hampshire residents?
We see agricultural operations having to work really hard to keep their crops going. … [Residents with wells] may see their well supply running low or going dry, and they may notice that their water has some sediment in it. … [Residents using community water] have restrictions put on their water use, mostly for outdoor watering … and that can range from a total ban on all outdoor watering, to watering on only certain days of the week, to no lawn watering and only hand watering of gardens. … Right now we have 165 community water systems with water restrictions in place.
What caused the drought? Is it due only to environmental factors, or are people also partially responsible?
It’s the increased water use during the summer, coupled with [environmental factors]. … Spring is one of the most important times of the year for recharging groundwater. … We had a really low snowpack in early spring and below-average rain in the spring, so that started us off in a deficit as we went into the summer. In the summer, we continued not to get enough rain to make up for it … and when temperatures rise, a lot of water ends up going to evaporation. … Water use also increases during the summer months because of outdoor watering. … A lot of people turn on their irrigation system and leave it running even when watering isn’t necessarily needed.
What kinds of water systems are used in New Hampshire, and what does a drought do to them?
Approximately half of the state is on their own private residence with well water, while the other half is on some kind of community water system. Community water systems usually have a diverse set of water sources. They may have wells in various areas, surface water sources and backup [sources], so they’re a bit more resilient when it comes to a drought. … Residential well owners tend to have either dug wells or bedrock wells. Dug wells are shallower wells that are in unconsolidated material above the bedrock. During a drought, they’re the first to run low on water, but they’re also the first to recharge when it rains. Bedrock wells are drilled down into the bedrock and receive water from various small fractures, and it takes longer for them to be impacted by low groundwater levels, but they take much longer to recharge. … It could take weeks to months.
How can people conserve water during a drought?
During the summer months, a reduction in lawn watering is the main thing, and not washing down driveways, power washing houses or washing cars with the hose constantly going. … As we move into the colder weather, people really need to focus on how to conserve water indoors. Do full loads of laundry and full loads in the dishwasher. Take shorter showers. Don’t run water while doing other things. Turn off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth. When you’re doing dishes, fill up a basin rather than letting the water run. One simple thing that people don’t think about is that you don’t always need to have your faucet on full blast. If you’re just rinsing vegetables off, you could turn it on halfway. … Residential well owners need to space out how they use water throughout the day and throughout the week. You shouldn’t be showering, running the dishwasher and doing laundry all at once.
Should people be buying their drinking water?
Not necessarily. The percentage of the amount of water we use for drinking is so small, it doesn’t really make a difference. But if you have a well and you’re starting to see sediment in your water you may want to consider buying bottled water just to prevent yourself from drinking anything like that.
When is the current drought expected to end?
Different outlets are predicting that the drought will improve over the next month but not necessarily go away. We could enter the winter while still in a drought. Then, our next chance for a really good groundwater replenishment won’t come until next spring.
Is water conservation important even when there isn’t a drought?
Yes. It should be practiced every day. Water is not an infinite resource, and it takes all of us to make sure we have the water supply we need … One of the basic things homeowners should be doing is replacing their outdated water fixtures. … [Older] toilets and washing machines are some of the biggest water wasters. … This can also save you money on your utility bills, and [newer appliances] can save a lot of energy, which could save you money on your electric bills.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
On Oct. 5, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Exhibit S to Emergency Order No. 29, which had been issued on April 9. Emergency Order No. 29 requires state agencies, boards and commissions t
o submit recommendations to Sununu if any regulatory deadlines should be adjusted in response to the state of emergency. Per Exhibit S, emergency waiver of attendance and leave rules previously adopted by the New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services’ Division of Personnel to provide flexibility to state employees impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic will continue for the duration of the state of emergency.
During an Oct. 8 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that public health officials will start to modify the way numbers are reported going forward, focusing “less on the extraneous numbers and more on numbers relative to the current situation in New Hampshire.” Even though the number of new positive test results of Covid-19 has continued to increase over the last several weeks, Dr. Chan said the percentage of positive results relative to all tests remains stable. “We believe that this is, in part, due to the large increase in testing that is being conducted statewide in many communities, both PCR and antigen testing,” he said. Dr. Chan added that there is also, however, evidence of increased community transmission, especially in Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties, likely due to a decrease in the relaxation of social distancing restrictions in some areas of the state.
On Oct. 9, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-20, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the Covid-19 pandemic for another three weeks through at least Oct. 30. It’s the 10th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency on March 13.
Details of Sununu’s Executive Orders, Emergency Orders and other announcements are available at governor.nh.gov.
Voter alert
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is alerting voters that an unidentified source has sent out mailers that contain an absentee ballot application form, a return envelope addressed to the recipient’s town or city clerk, and an allegedly handwritten note that says, “You are needed please fill this out and mail it in.” According to a press release, state law requires that such mailings include the identity of the entity mailing and distributing the form, which is not the case with this mailer. The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that these mailers have not been sent by any New Hampshire town or city clerk or by any state agency, and anyone who received this mailer who had already requested or submitted an absentee ballot does not need to complete another form. Anyone with questions can call the Attorney General’s Election hotline at 1-866-868-3703 or send an email to [email protected].
Opioid settlement
New Hampshire has joined a $1.6 billion global settlement agreement with Mallinckrodt, the biggest generic opioid manufacturer in the U.S., according to a press release from the office of New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald. The settlement comes more than a year after the state filed a complaint in Merrimack County Superior Court against Mallinckrodt alleging that the company failed to disclose risks of addiction, misrepresented the abuse-deterrence qualities of its opioids and failed to report suspicious orders of opioids, all of which violated New Hampshire’s consumer protection laws. The state also claimed that the company allegedly created a public nuisance and that between 2006 and 2014 Mallinckrodt accounted for 21.81 percent of all opioid transactions in New Hampshire; in that time, the company “sold the equivalent of approximately 153.5 million 10 mg opioid pills in New Hampshire, with a population of roughly 1.35 million people. That was enough Mallinckrodt opioids to provide each man, woman, and child in the state with 114 pills,” the release reads. Mallinckrodt, which has filed for bankruptcy, will pay $1.6 billion in cash into a trust, and a large amount of that money will go toward abating the opioid crisis. How much each state will receive will be negotiated during the bankruptcy process. The global settlement agreement includes attorneys general from 50 states and territories and local subdivisions.
NHDRA online
Last week, the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration launched Phase 2 of its new online user portal and revenue management system, for taxpayers of the New Hampshire Business Profits Tax, Business Enterprise Tax, Interest & Dividends Tax and Communication Services Tax. According to a press release, that equates to approximately 139,000 taxpayers who will now have a better online experience. The online user portal, Granite Tax Connect, allows users to file taxes electronically, schedule automated payments, and check on the status of returns, payments, and refund and credit requests. The first phase launched about a year ago, which made the portal available to those who pay the Meals & Rentals Tax, Medicaid Enhancement Tax, and Nursing Facility Quality Assessment. The department expects that by the end of 2021 all tax types will be able to utilize the online portal.
Social Security
AARP NH is hosting a free online discussion about Social Security on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m., according to a press release. Local and national experts will talk about how Social Security affects New Hampshire and its residents, and there will be an opportunity for people to ask questions. The discussion is free but pre-registration is required at aarp.cvent.com/SSProgram1021.
SEE Science Center
The SEE Science Center in Manchester has received a CARES grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services — the only award given to a New Hampshire museum, according to a press release. Only 68 projects from museums and libraries throughout the country were awarded funding out of more than 1,700 entries. SEE’s project, Creating Flexible Field Trips: Reopening Programming by Designing for Uncertainty during the Covid-19 Pandemic, is an effort to transition the Science Center’s in-person field trips to other formats so that teachers and students can continue to use the museum’s educational offerings during and after the pandemic.
The New Hampshire Food Bank will host a drive-through mobile food pantry on Friday, Oct. 16, from noon to 2 p.m. at NHTI in Concord, according to a press release. The food bank will bring the food to people in their vehicles.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was scheduled to visit Catholic Medical Center in Manchester on Tuesday to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the state’s health care providers, according to a press announcement. Shaheen also planned to talk about providing more resources to providers through relief legislation.
There should be no shortage of golden retrievers in Amherst on Sunday, Oct. 18, as the town holds its Goldens on the Green event from 1 to 3 p.m. on the town green. According to a press release, there will be a kissing booth, pool diving and a parade of goldens. Donations will be accepted, with the money raised going to animals awaiting adoption at the Humane Society for Greater Nashua. Everyone is welcome, including people who don’t own golden retrievers.
Starting in the fall of 2021, Rivier University in Nashua will have men’s and women’s ice hockey, according to a press release. The school plans to launch a national search for head coaches this month.
Hippo’s annual magazine, Cool Things About New Hampshire, will hit newsstands next week. It highlights many of the local, independently owned businesses and nonprofits that make our corner of America unique.
The magazine pulls its cool things from our annual Hippo Best of Readers’ Poll (published this year in August). These people and businesses are part of what makes our community a community. On an economic level, they help keep our hard-earned dollars in New Hampshire. For every $100 we spend at a local business, $68 stays in the local economy; at a national chain, $43 out of every $100 spent stays here, according to independentwestand.org. I would guess even less stays local when we buy online from Amazon.
This sense of community that local independent businesses help foster requires lots of in-person interaction. Often, it’s that personal service that gives them a competitive advantage.
As one might imagine, the pandemic has been especially challenging for independently owned small businesses and nonprofits. Many national chains, such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell, have seen revenues trend up recently as consumers shift toward drive-thrus. Amazon, Walmart and Target too have all seen a rise in revenue as consumers opt for more online shopping.
Additional government support may be needed to save many small businesses, but with the political climate the way it is, it’s doubtful that any aid will be coming.
That leaves us, the consumers, to vote with our dollars, to make an effort to support the corner cafe rather than always heading to Dunkins or to shop at the local health food store rather than defaulting to Whole Foods. We get the community — with its cool, unique people and businesses — that we support.
Just as I’m asking you to support, as much as you reasonably can, local independent businesses by voting with your dollars, I also ask you to financially support the Hippo, which is also local and independent. For nearly 20 years we’d been completely ad-supported (99 percent of those being local ads) but that source of revenue has rapidly declined recently and we now need broader community support from readers.
We are so grateful to the readers who have already contributed (and we especially love the notes of support!). Please go online to hippopress.com to contribute or mail a contribution to: HippoPress, 195 McGregor St., Manchester NH 03102. We appreciate any amount (and we have some extra thank-yous for those who become members).
Thank you for reading, thank you for contributing and thank you for all the ways you support this community that is so important to us all.
