Category: Featured Content

The race is on

Snowshoe trail series will go on with or without snow

Winter events that rely on snow can be hard to count on in southern New Hampshire, but, as the name aptly states, the Snow or No We Go Trail Series is going to happen whether there’s a foot of snow or none at all.

“Snow or no, Covid or no, we go,” said Tom Walton, who created the event last year.

He said that, with the exception of thunder and lightning or a state of emergency, the trail series will happen — the only change would be the footwear.

“People can count on the race and on the date — last year we ran in snowshoes, microspikes and just trail shoes,” said Walton, who is the wellness coach for Northeast Delta Dental, which is sponsoring the series.

Walton started the event to replace the now defunct Granite State Snowshoe Series.

“It was quite popular and fun, [but] it was entirely contingent on snow,” he said. “When the winters started getting kind of messed up, with unreliable snow, the race director of that series gave up, so I thought, I’m going to get this going again, but with a little twist — no matter what is under our foot, we’re going to run.”

This year’s series has six races, double the number of races it had in its inaugural year. They’ll be held on Saturdays starting Jan. 15 and ending March 5. Four of the races will be held at Canterbury Shaker Village and two will be held at Prospect Acres.

“I have a real affinity for Canterbury Shaker Village,” Walton said. “It’s really gorgeous and [has] lots of acreage. I have tried to convince them that they’re a recreational paradise in all seasons.”

The other location at Prospect Acres in Franklin was offered up by Steve Nelson, who owns the 55-acre property and uses it for obstacle course training. Nelson participated in the snowshoe series last year, along with some of his obstacle course teammates, and Nelson said they loved it. When he found out Walton was putting the series on again this year, he suggested using his space too.

“I figured, why not add to the mix?” Nelson said.

Both locations have 2-mile loop trails, and participants have the option to do one or two loops, and all ages and abilities are welcome.

“If you can walk, come,” Nelson said. “It’s just about being outside, being safe, teamwork — everybody’s out there encouraging each other.”

If there’s enough snow on the ground, snowshoes are highly encouraged (though you have to bring your own). Otherwise, microspikes and regular trail shoes are allowed.

“Microspikes are going to be the easiest [to race in], but ultimately we hope to be on snowshoes,” Nelson said. “But at least [we’ve] opened it up so we don’t have to cancel the series.”

Nelson said he had to do one race in microspikes last year because it was sheer ice.

Because of the variables in weather and equipment, these races aren’t about winning. They’re mostly about having a fairly sure thing to look forward to.

“I like to have an environment of joy and keep it kind of light and make people feel important,” Walton said. “Keeping a light heart about it makes it fun.”

Snow or No We Go

Where: Canterbury Shaker Village (1 Shaker Road, Canterbury) and Prospect Acres (4 Beaumier Drive, Franklin)
Schedule
Jan. 15: Canterbury Shaker Village
Jan. 29: Canterbury Shaker Village
Feb. 5: Canterbury Shaker Village
Feb. 12: Prospect Acres (Registration is full)
Feb. 19: Canterbury Shaker Village
March 5: Prospect Acres
All races start at 10 a.m.
Cost: Registration for each race is $20. Participants need to pre-register and sign a waiver at runreg.com/nh-snow-or-no-we-go-series.
More info: Email Tom Walton (twalton@nedelta.com) or Steven Nelson (stevennelson1967@gmail.com)

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/01/13

Covid-19 update As of Jan 3 As of Jan 10
Total cases statewide 203,749 223,599
Total current infections statewide 8,785 17,208
Total deaths statewide 1,973 2,027
New cases 9,279 (Dec. 28 to Jan. 3) 19,850 (Jan. 4 to Jan. 10)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 2,953 5,599
Current infections: Merrimack County 863 1,791
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,863 3,562
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Jan. 6, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire averaged about 1,500 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week. Just two days prior, the total number of deaths attributed to the virus crossed the 2,000 mark. “In the last week, we have been averaging about nine to 10 new people dying from Covid-19 each day in our state,” Chan said, adding that the majority of the deaths have been occurring in the community rather than in long-term care facilities.

Chan also announced new updated isolation and quarantine guidance, which includes recommendations adapted from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The guidance breaks down details of recommended action for anyone who may have been exposed to Covid, either in the community or from another person in their shared household. According to Chan, the guidance applies to the general public, including workplaces and K-through-12 schools. It does not apply to health care settings, correctional institutions or homeless shelters. Go to covid19.nh.gov to view the guidance documents.

Gov. Chris Sununu also announced during the press conference that the state will be deploying an additional 100 members of its National Guard — about 30 of them will be deployed to long-term care facilities, while the other 70 will be helping out at local hospitals. Sununu had previously announced the deployment of 70 National Guard members back on Dec. 8.

On Jan. 7, Sununu visited Elliot Hospital in Manchester to welcome a team of active-duty service members from the federal Department of Defense. According to a press release, the team is composed of medics, nurses, administrative support and a physician and is expected to remain at Elliot Hospital until the beginning of February.

Open enrollment

New Hampshire Navigator, a nonprofit that offers assistance for accessing health coverage, is reminding people that Saturday, Jan. 15, is the deadline for residents to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace. According to a press release, anyone who misses the open enrollment period may not be able to get coverage until 2023. It is available to anyone who is not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid or employer-based insurance. The American Rescue Plan has made it easier for New Hampshire residents to get affordable coverage, the release said, and the number of consumers getting coverage for $10 or less per month after tax credits has nearly doubled. “Most people will be able to qualify for substantially lower costs this year if they get their insurance on the Marketplace,” said Jeremy Smith, program director for New Hampshire Navigator. “We are really urging people to look at the new plans and prices that are being released this year. In a lot of cases, the plans are more affordable than we have ever seen.” Anyone who needs help learning about their options or signing up can reach New Hampshire Navigator at 931-3858 or acanavigator.com.

Activists arrested

Four activists were arrested by Bow police on Jan. 8 after they entered the property of Merrimack Generating Station, the last coal-fired power plant in New England, around 4 p.m., while it was operating, and remained there for more than six hours. According to a press release, two of the activists locked themselves to the base of the inactive smokestack while the other two scaled the smokestack and dropped a banner that read, “Shut It Down.” They called on the owners of the plant to file a delist bid at an upcoming auction, the outcome of which will determine which power plants will be granted ratepayer funding to be on standby for New England’s electric grid. The owners did not agree to the demands, and the activists were arrested around 10:30 p.m., then released around midnight, with a court date to follow. No Coal, No Gas, a campaign launched in 2019 to end the burning of fossil fuels in New England, has claimed responsibility for organizing the activism. “We are determined to do what must be done to prevent this plant from running, even if that means we have to shut it down ourselves,” campaign coordinator Leif Taranta said in a public statement. “By our actions today, we sent a clear message that we are going to do everything we can to shut this coal plant down and pave the way for a better, more just future.”

Eviction extension

A proposal up for consideration at the Statehouse this year would, if passed, require New Hampshire landlords who are planning to repair, renovate or sell their properties, to give their current tenants more time to find new places to live before evicting them, NHPR reported. The New Hampshire law as it is currently written does not clearly regulate such evictions, leading many landlords to file the evictions under the catchall category of “other good cause,” giving tenants 30 days to vacate. The proposed bill would create new, more specific categories for eviction filings, with regulations for how landlords can proceed with those evictions. In the case of evictions related to non-emergency repairs, renovations or selling of the property, the length of time tenants are given to vacate would be increased from 30 to 90 days.

Teacher negotiations

The Nashua Board of Education Negotiating Team and the Nashua Teachers Union were unable to reach an agreement regarding the Union’s request for salary increases for its teachers, the former group reported. The contract proposed by the BoE Negotiating Team offered to increase each teacher’s salary by more than $3,300, with a minimum salary increase of $8,400 for top step teachers, effective immediately; increase compensation for school nurses; and adjust how starting pays are calculated according to prior work experience; while requesting that the NTU fully cover the NTU president’s salary, health insurance and other compensations without financial assistance from the Nashua School District, of which the NTU president is not an employee. According to the BoE Negotiating Team, the NTU did not agree to the terms, and the BoE Negotiating Team stated its intention to continue pursuing a successfully negotiated contract.

Student ID cards

On Jan. 11, Gov. Chris Sununu sent a letter to the Education Committee in support of Senate Bill 234, which would require schools that issue student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or their own mental health support helpline on the cards. According to the letter, the requirement would also apply to institutions of higher learning within the state but will not require grades six through 12 public schools to issue student identification cards if they do not already do so.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness will soon run mainly on solar power; according to a press release, a 139kW solar photovoltaic array is being built in two phases, and when it’s complete it will generate enough power to offset nearly all the Science Center’s electric needs. The solar array could save about $26,000 in electricity costs annually and more than 250,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, the release said.

Atticus, a 10-year-old certified pet therapy dog, spent time with staff and patients at Concord Hospital – Laconia last week. The visit was to introduce the Laconia branch to Concord Hospital’s Pets Uplift People program, according to a press release.

The Plains Cemetery in Kingston, established circa 1725, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to a press release, Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795), the first constitutional governor of New Hampshire and second signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried there. The cemetery’s most elaborate pedestal monument belongs to Major Edward S. Sanborn, a Kingston native who funded the Sanborn Seminary and donated to several local churches and public improvements in the 1880s — and who earned his fortune as the proprietor of several prostitution houses in Boston.

Framing the discussion

by Fred Bramante

The subject of critical race theory (CRT) has been raised and fought over in school districts all over our country. Many parents, teachers and school board members are interested in finding a way to teach American history that includes our shortcomings. For over a year, this challenge has divided communities, often resulting in threats and even outright violence. Those arguing for a more accurate history curriculum often appear as trying to make America look bad, make white folks look bad, and instill guilt in schoolchildren. While I am no expert on CRT, I am a proud American who believes that there needs to be a way to discuss this important issue in which everybody stays at the table. I believe I have a solution. I am proposing the development of a curriculum for teaching about race and equity issues that is rooted in American pride.

I am a first-generation Italian-American whose ancestors and millions of other immigrants have been greeted by the Statue of Liberty since 1884, less than two decades after the Civil War was fought over ending slavery, with the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” These words make me proud of my country and how it was rooted in principles of liberty and justice for all. That original ideal seems to play little or no role in CRT curriculum debates.

What if conversations were wrapped in America’s unending efforts to “form a more perfect union”?

I am proud that the basic concept that is America starts with “all men are created equal,” despite the fact that many of the authors of those amazing founding documents did not live up to those sacred words. But the fact that they, in essence, carved those words in stone for generations of Americans to live up to has moved the nation and the world in an ever more fair, diverse and equitable direction.

America has a long history of moving the moral universe, not only with its personal struggles over issues of racial equity but with women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and the promotion of human rights all over the world. Are America and the world where we want them to be, yet? Hell, NO! But, I, for one, am proud of America’s ongoing influence and leadership on these issues, and that’s a conversation that I believe we can have, warts included, with all of our citizens. It’s not a conversation rooted in American shame, but one rooted in American pride.

Fred Bramante is a past chairman and memtber of the New Hampshire State Board of Education. He speaks and consults on education redesign to regional, state and national organizations.

No stopping her

Country singer brings debut disc to Concord

Following a Covid-caused delay of more than a year, April Cushman finally released her debut album, The Long Haul, in November. The country singer celebrated in front of a hometown crowd at Milford’s Pasta House — she grew up in nearby Brookline. The event sold out weeks in advance.

The new record is one of the best of the genre to come out of the Granite State in recent years. It’s filled with great songs, from the modern country rocker “Soundtrack To My City” to the could-have-been love ballad “Once Upon A Time” and the tender ode to her father (who makes a cameo introduction) closing things out, “Take My Hand.”

Cushman purposefully selected the album’s leadoff track. She wrote “Ain’t No Stopping You” after being laid off and resolving in that moment to go all in on the music career she’d dreamed about and chased since childhood.

“Losing a job is never an emotionally easy thing to go through. … I was trying to switch the mindset of having it be a bad thing,” she said in a recent phone interview. “You have dreams — get your friends and family together [and] paint the town red. Make sure there’s no stopping you from reaching the goals that you want to reach.”

It’s a daunting road described deftly in the title cut. Penned by New Hampshire singer-songwriter turned Nashville expat Amanda McCarthy and a few other locals who moved south, “The Long Haul” describes the shock of being “a big fish in a small town” set loose in an ocean of like-minded aspirants.

Cushman jumped on the song when it was pitched to her.

“The line that really hits me the hardest is, ‘entitlement pays a price,’” she said. “A lot of people think, ‘I’m hot stuff around here.’ Then they move and realize there is so much talent…. It’s a very ignorant mind-set as an artist. I have to admit, I’ve probably been there at some point.”

Making it is often a “10-year turnaround” — or even more for established stars like Chris Stapleton, who toiled for nearly two decades before getting his big break.

“You’re basically starting from the top of where you came from, going to the absolute bottom [and] starting over…. It takes a lot of elbow grease,” Cushman said. “In such an instant gratification world, if we don’t see complete success in five years or less, a lot of people will say, ‘This isn’t for me.’”

Though Cushman will head to Music City at some point to do some songwriter showcases, she has no plans to relocate permanently, as many New England country performers have done.

“I’m focusing on the album right now, and preparing for potentially touring,” she said. “Once we’re ready, we will certainly make our way down there.”

While she continues to play mostly covers at bars and restaurants, Cushman has resolved to do at least one original gig a month. Next is a full-band performance at Bank of NH Stage in Concord.

“This is our first straight music venue, our first theater headlining show,” she said. “We’ve never done something like this before, so it’s very exciting.”

Due to the pandemic, it’s a hybrid event; fans can purchase in-person tickets or pay to stream it online. Cushman considers the latter choice a silver lining, since her song with the most Spotify streams initially took off in the U.K.

“People have the option, depending on where they are in life, what’s going on in the world and where they’re located, to be part of the show,” she said.

Cushman and drummer Adam Soucy recently began a weekly residency at the old Club ManchVegas space now occupied by The Goat. It’s an opportunity to spread the word about her music between familiar hits, and occasionally slip in one of her own tunes. “I’ll say, ‘Hey, you guys have been requesting Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBride and Carrie Underwood all night. … Now here’s my song.”

Though aware it’s a continuing journey, Cushman is grateful to be this far along.

“Going from a kid just doing something that made me feel good and was kind of my emotional outlet, to being an adult looking back at the last 25 years … holy cow,” she said. “It feels like a very full-circle moment to have this record out; I’m looking forward to the next one.”

April Cushman, Live and Livestreamed

When: Thursday, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $34.99 in person, $17.99 livestream at liveonfestival.show

Featured photo: April Cushman. Courtesy photo.

Sushi, hibachi and more

Osaka Japanese Restaurant now open in Manchester

A new eatery in downtown Manchester is offering daily lunch specials of sushi or hibachi, along with teriyaki and tempura entrees, appetizers, desserts and a full line of sake rice wines, Asian imported beers and house cocktails.

Osaka Japanese Restaurant arrived on Elm Street just before Christmas. It’s named after one of the largest and busiest commercial centers in Japan, said manager Kunchok “Jenny” Choedon — a friend of her husband’s had run The Seafood King inside that storefront before moving into a larger space on South Willow Street.

Photo courtesy of Osaka Japanese Restaurant.

You can mix and match from more than two dozen types of sushi rolls, including both cooked and raw options, from spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail to avocado, asparagus and cucumber, as well as a lobster tempura roll with fish eggs, and a spider roll with fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, masago and eel sauce. Hibachi plates feature a choice of grilled protein like chicken, steak and shrimp, served with soup, salad and fried rice.

“The hibachi portions [are] very big,” Choedon said. “We have a lot of really good options for sushi … and if you have any specific fish you like, you can create your own rolls.”

Other menu items include teriyaki and tempura bento boxes, cooked to order with proteins like chicken, shrimp, steak or salmon or a vegetarian option; udon noodles with chicken, steak or vegetables; and appetizers like steamed pork dumplings, fried calamari, and edamame with garlic butter. Choedon said a few Chinese wok and grill platters were added as well, like General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken and beef broccoli, served with white or fried rice.

Despite Osaka’s small space, the restaurant does have a full bar. There are more than a half dozen brands of sake, or Japanese rice wine, in several flavors, as well as other wines and beers.

“We have a lot of Japanese beer,” Choedon said. “The most popular one is Sapporo … and then we have Ichiban and Asahi, and Tsingtao, which is a Chinese beer.”

Desserts include fried vanilla or green tea ice cream, fried cheesecake, and mochi ice cream, or pounded sticky rice dough with a vanilla, green tea, mango or strawberry ice cream filling.

Sushi and hibachi lunches are available at discounted prices from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Osaka also offers online ordering and deliveries through third-party apps GrubHub and DoorDash.

Osaka Japanese Restaurant

Where: 1077 Elm St., Manchester
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. (lunch specials are served daily until 3:30 p.m., except on holidays)
More info: Visit osakanh.com, find them on Facebook or call 232-0761

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Osaka Japanese Restaurant.

Planting a new exhibit

Art quilts bring nature to Nashua Public Library

Ellen Fisher’s background in landscape design and conservation is at the heart of her artistic quilts, which will be on display during her upcoming “Translating Nature Into Fabric” exhibit at the Nashua Public Library starting Saturday, Jan. 8.

Fisher, who lives in Hollis, learned to sew from her mother when she was young and picked it up again about 20 years ago. But Fisher’s work isn’t like her mom’s; she was a more traditional quilter, making practical items like bedquilts.

“I was very interested in her work but not in doing it myself until a certain kind of quilting came across my radar [that’s] more improvisational,” Fisher said.

Watercolor quilting, as it’s known, reminded her of the kind of pictures that are made up of little squares that work together to make a larger picture you can see only when you stand back far enough.

“It was that sort of image that grabbed my interest,” she said. “I am not as interested in making other people’s designs but very interested in figuring out my own, and I do this with great respect for the traditional quilting world. I have a real root system in traditional quilting that I have just interpreted in my own way.”

Jamie’s Tomatoes quilt. Courtesy photo,

The designs on her quilts are based in nature, featuring things like streams and trees — most are elements that Fisher worked with in her career as a landscape designer and conservationist.

Her art quilts — not to be confused with soft, cuddly quilts, like the ones she makes for her grandchildren — have been even more in line with her nature-centric career ever since Fisher discovered a few years ago that she could get a different effect if she dyed her fabric with plants.

“The colors in nature, they tend to be on the more neutral side, more subdued,” she said.

She grows many of the plants she uses — goldenrod, sumac, wild rose and raspberry, for example — in her own garden and gathers the rest locally.

But Fisher said plant dyes aren’t always conducive to her work, and she still uses traditional fabrics as well.

“I love commercial printed fabrics … as much as anyone else, and I’m a kid in a candy store when I go to a fabric store,” she said.

“Translating Nature Into Fabric” will be the first exhibit at the library’s gallery since it closed in March 2020.

“This is sort of like the art gallery reopening,” assistant librarian Holly Klump said.

Fisher applied to have her work displayed in the space and said the library is very generous in what it allows artists to do.

“It’s my responsibility to design the exhibit and hang the quilts, but that is not normal — usually management is very involved,” she said. “Here I have a lot of autonomy, and I consider that to be a huge advantage.”

“We really see the art gallery as the artist’s space for that two months that they have their art up,” Klump said. “I’m not a curator. … [We want artists] to take ownership of the space.”

Klump said they typically have a call for artists in the fall; this year, a library committee chose the artists. They prefer artists who are local or “local-ish,” she said.

“This year we have quite a variety of people [including an] oil painter, a spray painter, a photographer,” Klump said. “I’m really proud. … I think it’s a great way to promote local artists, and it’s great for people who maybe don’t go [to see art at traditional] art galleries.”

Most of the 15 quilts in Fisher’s exhibit will be for sale, and there will be an information sheet with pricing and contact details. She had planned to have an artist’s reception shortly after the opening, but the surge in Covid cases has put that plan on hold. She said if the surge diminishes a lot by the end of the exhibit, she might try to have one, but for now, the exhibit will be available for general viewing any time the library is open.

“It’s a great way for the public to happen upon art, and it’s free, and it’s really beautiful stuff,” Klump said.

See “Translating Nature into Fabric”

Where: Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St.
When: Saturday, Jan. 8, through Saturday, Feb. 26. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
Visit: nashualibrary.org

Featured Photo: Beaver Brook quilt. Courtesy photo.

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