Category: Granite Views

Much of what passes for public conversation these days could well be likened to a poker game where each player slaps down a card and the others try quickly to put down one of higher value. Whether the topic is immigration, gun control/rights, or abortion, the exchange soon becomes heated and the pace frantic. What is lost, quite simply, is listening.

For 25 years, there had been a space in our lives where that was not the pattern. Rather than shouting, blustering assertions, or insulting innuendos, NHPR’s The Exchange had been true to its name, a thoughtful, measured, and substantive exploration of issues and events among people with diverse and often deeply different views (NHPR discontinued the show last month).

Twenty-five years of The Exchange also brought us lighter fare about matters we didn’t know we didn’t know, such as the issues of pets along our hiking paths, developing alternatives to maple sugar syrups, and the curious doings of some of New Hampshire’s long-ago governors.

These conversations, in the truest sense of that term, were moderated by Laura Knoy, host of the program since its inception.

Whether interviewing a U.S. presidential candidate on a swing through our state or hosting a three-way exploration of substance abuse, Laura consistently modeled her program on what she herself values, generous listening. The term first used by Rachel Naomi Remen and later by Krista Tippett is “listening that is powered by curiosity.”

It is further suggested that this is “a virtue we can invite and nurture in ourselves to render it instinctive.” For anyone who had consistently tuned in to The Exchange each weekday morning, it would be clear that generous listening is instinctive with Laura.

And that is the point about what so many of us will miss. The program not only facilitated a statewide forum for the examination of issues critical to our community but also modeled behavior by which civil conversations even about profoundly contentious and divisive matters can take place.

At a time of such polarization, we need many more such exemplars of what our “better selves” could be to one another.

You can contact Steve Reno at [email protected].

I love tacos, and when I first arrived in New Hampshire in 1993 as a medical student living in the Upper Valley, I realized I was a long way from Southern California and the tacos I’d grown up with when the only Mexican food source was a fast food chain franchise, where I was astounded to see the overhead menu displayed phonetic spelling for each of the food items: “boo-ree-toe”!

One day, my two Mexican-American classmates and I set out in search of Mexican food rumored to be available in a not too distant town in Vermont. It felt like a quest. Sadly, our too expensive (for our student budgets) meal was disappointing, and we resigned ourselves to living in a beautiful place with no gastronomic connection to home. We were excited when Shorty’s opened; the chips and salsa made it a favored site for celebrations!

Fast forward 28 years and I am thrilled to learn of Lalo’s Taqueria in Lebanon through “The Flavors of our Neighbors: At Lalo’s In Lebanon, The Taco Is King,” an NHPR story reported online July 2. A mouth-watering picture reveals authentic-looking tacos I can practically taste, light years from what I experienced in 1993, and sparks an urge for a road trip to catch lunch or dinner!

New Hampshire Public Radio is now running a wonderful limited weekly series, “The Flavors of Our Neighbors”/”Los Sabores de Nuestros Vecinos.” The Editor’s Note begins, “More than just a place to eat, local restaurants provide a taste of home for people through food and connections made with the folks who run them. This was never so evident as when the pandemic closed many of these gathering places, some for good … comprised of multimedia stories that highlight Latino restaurant owners, we learn how these entrepreneurs have not only weathered the pandemic but found ways to thrive and continue to provide a sense of community for their customers.”

In addition to stimulating our appetites, these stories evoke a connection to home, family, culture and community, for those of us with recent or remote roots in one of the many countries of Latin America. This is especially evident in the first story in the series, “The Flavors Of Our Neighbors: At Don Quijote, It’s Important To Feel At Home,” which highlighted restaurateur Sandra Almonte’s efforts “to make each person who walks through here feel as though they were stepping into their grandparents’ house.”

I am honored to be a member of the community-media partnership that collaboratively conceived of this project. We hope you will be inspired to check out “The Flavors Of Our Neighbors” and join us in creating community together over good food, as friends and neighbors in New Hampshire.

The elderberries are in full bloom. For my family they hold special significance as they remind us of my father-in law, who passed away almost four years ago.

My father-in-law loved his wild edibles. Every year at about this time he would drive along the country roads of Pickaway County in Ohio where he lived, keeping an eye out for elderberry flowers at the edges of woods and farmers’ fields. He’d carefully take mental note of their location so he could return later in the summer to forage for their magical berries. I’ve heard how he’d make elderberry wine with the berries — or how they’d get baked into one of his wife’s delicious pies. He also had many “adventures” getting stuck in ditches and battling poison ivy and always had colorful stories to share about his quest for those berries.

My husband has continued the elderberry passion, planting them on our property and harvesting them for all things elderberry. He also enjoys spotting them while driving around Manchester and New Hampshire, and talks excitedly about how they evoke memories, brighten up the drives and landscapes, and provide nectar and pollen for our local honey bees — another one of his passions, best left for another day’s column.

Most years, he and our daughter cook up a batch of elderberry syrup that is especially nice on yogurt and vanilla ice-cream. He has not yet forayed into making elderberry wine, but I suspect that is coming. The cooked berries regularly go into people’s smoothies and many live in the freezer for winter treats, once again reminding us of summer’s warmth and of fond times with my father-in-law. (Do note the tart berries can be toxic and should be cooked before eating!)

One of my less-favored consequences of working with elderberries are the inevitable purple-stained fingers that linger for days — and yet they, too, evoke “tasty” memories and trigger anticipation of the next elderberry treat that will be heartily enjoyed. (“Tasty” is a food adjective commonly and enthusiastically used by my husband’s family.)

I realize these little things we take for granted, such as flowers on the side of the road that we may not even notice most days, spark important and meaningful memories. What are the items or events that do the same for you? I hope we can all take time to appreciate and savor the little things that help bring meaning and sweetness to our life today.

My family and I are grateful for the generous gift of memories (and yummy treats) that the elderberries provide us today and every year. I wish the same for you and yours.

On June 8 and June 9, the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits hosted its annual NH Gives online fundraiser. According to its website, the event generated more than $3.8 million for the benefit of 584 nonprofits throughout New Hampshire. This amount represented a record amount raised for the event, and it included a $300,000 match by the New Hampshire Charitable Fund and an additional $700,000 in individual matches. As always, I am humbled by the generosity of our Granite Staters and inspired by the collaboration that made this event such a success.

I was proud to represent Fellowship Housing Opportunities on WMUR promoting NH Gives and grateful for the coverage of the important services that this nonprofit provides, safe and affordable housing for people living with long-term mental illness. According to the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, we are one of 6,547 charitable organizations providing services for New Hampshire. In a state that staunchly supports limited government and no state taxes, these nonprofits have an important role to play. They are frequently filling in the gaps where the state government lacks funding to provide services. Their services range from health and human services to the arts and theater and everything in between.

Most nonprofits in New Hampshire operate as small businesses with limited annual operating budgets. However, rather than deliver a profit, the goal of a nonprofit is to deliver on its mission. Many rely solely on grants, donations and fundraising to exist. New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits indicates that 15 percent of New Hampshire’s workforce is employed by a nonprofit. That means that with our state’s low unemployment rate, our nonprofits are also struggling for employees right now. It’s difficult for them to compete at the same wage level as the for-profit sector. Nonprofits rely on their mission to attract people. Volunteers also fill a vital role in the nonprofit sector, in day-to-day operations as well as at the board level.

Perhaps you will consider spending your time with one of the many nonprofits carrying out its mission throughout the Granite State? Whether you choose to volunteer for specific events, on a regular basis, or as a board member, or make a monetary donation, your contributions are important to their success. When New Hampshire nonprofits win, important work happens in our state.

The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many industries and altered many futures forever. The industry casualties include office space, travel (especially the cruise ship industry), brick-and-mortar retail, higher education and more. These industries are going to need significant retooling to survive in the future. In the end I believe that we, as a nation, will be strengthened as a result of having gone through this. While that’s easy for me to say, try telling that to the millions who’ve lost their jobs, or, even worse, lost family members or friends.

An industry near and dear to me that was devastated over the past year was entertainment, especially live music. While some local venues like Tupelo Music Hall (Derry) came up with inventive ways to socially distance while providing live entertainment, many around the country saw their doors close and lights turned off for the better part of a year. But venues are opening up, tours are back on the road, and folks are gearing up to see their favorite acts.

Here in New Hampshire, we are blessed with some great venues. In addition to Tupelo we have the Hampton Beach Casino, the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (formerly Meadowbrook) in Gilford, and the Flying Monkey in Plymouth. These venues should be staples for every 603 music lover.

Tupelo Music Hall started as a smaller venue holding 200 to 300 people but sufficiently flourished to the point where they built a beautiful new 700-seat facility. If you haven’t been there, you’re missing out on a great venue to watch a show.

The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom has been entertaining New Hampshire folks and tourists for decades. It’s a beautiful old venue that seats about 2,000. They have had so many legendary shows there. I saw Tina Turner at the Casino when “What’s Love Got to Do with It” was the No. 1 song in America.

The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford is a large outdoor venue that seats 9,000. On beautiful New Hampshire summer nights it’s a wonderful place to catch a show.

The Flying Monkey in Plymouth is a former 1920s theater that seats about 700. It is yet another of Alex Ray’s amazing contributions to New Hampshire, which include the Common Man restaurants, the Tilt’n Diner and the fabulous facilities he has constructed at liquor stores and truck stops around the state.

Do yourself a favor and go see some great music in New Hampshire.

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.

We all know the old koan: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The question is said to be an exercise in perception and observation.

My friend Chris is no tree, but there is a certain parallel between him and the timeless question. You see, he is a 39-year veteran high school teacher in a rural and very economically distressed part of northern New England and he is retiring. Considering the demographic of the teaching profession these days, Chris could be described as part of the old growth, as the number of colleagues whose time teaching goes back to the early 1980s is increasingly rare.

Like a long-standing tree, Chris has been a stalwart at his school and in his community. Since his first day in the classroom, he has dressed in a suit and tie. That is something of a rarity in schools today. When asked why he has done so, he offers modestly, “It sets an example to the students that what we are doing together is important business and that I should dress to show that.”

While formal in dress, Chris is compassionate and deeply solicitous for his students. The door to his classroom has a sign: “You are most welcome here” in German and French, the languages he teaches. As a result, his classroom is a sanctuary, especially for those who sometimes just need a break from the tensions and challenges of high school daily life. He has been a counselor, cheerleader, and ever faithful confidant for nearly three generations of students.

Knowing how important dress and appearance are, not only for social events, job interviews or just self-esteem, each year Chris sets up a rack of his suits, shirts and ties in his classroom so that students can choose items that their modest financial resources could not stretch to buy.

Annually, Chris has taken 20 to 30 of the students at his school on a two-week study trip to Germany and France. For virtually all of them, this is their first trip abroad, and for some, even out of state. He has photographs of students’ faces as they get their first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. For many, the trip under his tutelage is the spark that generates a career trajectory, whether to travel or, for some, to follow Chris in his profession.

Alums of his classes are now published writers, teachers, entrepreneurs and civic leaders. News of his impending retirement has triggered a flood of emails and calls.

Yes, when a great tree falls, there should be a sound, a very loud and appreciative one. Thank you, Chris.