Category: Q&A

On The Job – Kurt Strandson

Mortgage broker/lender

Kurt W. Strandson (NMLS# 22202) is a mortgage broker and lender and the owner and president of Pinnacle Mortgage Corporation (NMLS #1323739 Equal Housing Opportunity), which is based in Manchester and licensed in 12 states.

Explain your job and what it entails.

We help buyers and homeowners with residential and mixed use and commercial refinance and purchase mortgages. As a broker, we work with over 30 investors to offer a multitude of products not always offered at larger national retail lenders or small community banks or credit unions.

How long have you had this job?

I started my career in the mortgage industry in March of 2003. I opened Pinnacle in April of 2015. We’ve grown from three people to almost 50 and are continuing to grow as we move into more states and look to open more offices throughout the country.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I graduated from Bentley University in 2000 and thought I was destined to work as a financial planner and stockbroker. I soon realized the mortgage industry allowed me to utilize my bachelor of science degree in economics and finance … and help people achieve the ‘American dream’ of homeownership, which was rewarding and something I quickly became passionate about.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I was fortunate to obtain a bachelor of science degree from Bentley University and an MBA from UNH in 2012. I do feel both experiences provided the knowledge, education and foundation for me to succeed both as a mortgage broker and a business owner. I found that in the MBA program, I learned as much if not more from my fellow classmates sharing their knowledge and experiences from their careers. I also earned my Certified Mortgage Professional designation.

What’s your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Normal business attire is business casual.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

Prior to the pandemic, a large percentage of our applications were taken in person. The pandemic expedited the use and development of new technology in our industry to accommodate working remotely. We’re now paperless, and a majority of the process is done online or via technology. We still offer in-person appointments for those who prefer it, but the use and development of technology … has made the process simple, straightforward and fast for our borrowers. The pandemic brought record loan volume as mortgage rates hit historic lows, creating a very high demand for homes.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

Patience. Sometimes you have to wait for the right situations, relationships and opportunities. I’ve been very blessed with a career that doesn’t feel like a job. I’ve also been blessed with a beautiful wife and family of six children, which I’m grateful for every day.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Many people don’t know or understand the amount of information and data that’s required to be collected and verified throughout the mortgage application process. Technology has made it more efficient but there’s a lot done behind the scenes to get an application to a closing table.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first official job was at 15 years old, working at Giant Pizza in Danielson, Connecticut.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Surround yourself with good people. We care about each other and want to support each team member in every way we can. We win as a team.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Winning by Tim Grover
Favorite movie: Diggstown
Favorite music: The Lumineers
Favorite food: Bone-in rib-eye
Favorite thing about NH: I love skiing in the White Mountains with family and friends.

Featured photo: Kurt Strandson. Courtesy photo.

Teaming up

Community health workers assist police in Manchester

Last month, a new Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST), funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, was formed to serve the City of Manchester, combining the efforts of the Manchester Police and Manchester Public Health departments. The team consists of eight Community Health Workers who are trained in advocacy, conflict resolution and “violence interruption,” an evidence-based response technique for non-police and non-emergency matters to help reduce violent crime. PHAST supervisor Biram Saidybah shared more about how the team serves the city’s residents and allows the police department to focus on issues that require the services of law enforcement.

How and why was PHAST created?

The Manchester Police Department had been receiving a lot of calls … and many of those calls were [about] something that has nothing to do with what law enforcement [handles] … and usually nothing to do with violence. The city realized that maybe it could have another team of people respond to those calls, and that’s how the idea for a Public Health and Safety Team was conceived. … The intention is for us to partner with the police and to inherit those calls that are not law enforcement [issues] … freeing up maybe up to six or eight police officers to be able to concentrate on violence issues.

What qualifications do PHAST workers have?

They all have training to be a community health worker, and some have years of experience working as a community health worker. … Some of us have also lived the same experiences that the people we are serving are currently living, and we want them to also be able to achieve their dreams in America. … It’s also a multilingual and multicultural team. We felt that hiring people who can speak more than one language would be the best way to reach out to a wider community. … Everybody has a unique skill that the others don’t have, so the team has a combination of unique skills. … Anytime we receive a call, we’ll look at who is the best person [to respond to] that call, based on their character and skills here, so that we can address it in the best possible way. … Finally, everyone has a story about why they joined this team. Every one of us on this team is dedicated and loves this community, loves the job that we’re doing and loves to serve people.

What types of calls does PHAST respond to?

One type is what’s called wellness checks or condition checks. … If someone goes to an individual’s house, knocks at the door and nobody answers and they aren’t able to get in communication with that individual, typically they call the police to come check on that individual. … Then, there are people who are repeat callers, who will call the police department three, four, five times in a month. They may be people who have mental health challenges, people who are just lonely and need to talk to somebody, or people who are having issues, like they’re about to be evicted or they don’t know how to apply for health insurance, things like that. Many of those calls are also from seniors who are living by themselves and don’t have anyone there to help them with things in their day-to-day life, so anytime they’re confronted with something [they need help with], they call the police. … Another type of call is for what’s referred to as ‘hotspots,’ neighborhoods that the police receive a lot of calls from or that may have a lot of crime going on.

In addition to responding to those calls, what else does PHAST do?

Part of our partnership with the Police Department [involves] the Community Response Unit; if someone in the city overdoses, we will go with two police officers 72 hours after the overdose to do a condition check on the individual and to give them resources. … Another activity we’ve been engaged in is, whenever we go to a ward, we see if there’s something like a broken sidewalk or a broken electrical pole or a branch of a tree that’s fallen, things like that, and we take a picture of it using the SeeClickFix app, which then goes … to the department responsible for addressing that issue.

How is PHAST better-equipped than the police to handle certain issues?

The Community Response Unit is a good example. When we go to check on a person, we don’t normally allow police officers to do the talking. We’ll ask them to stand back, close enough to provide some security to us, but far enough to give some privacy to that individual, because many people are more interested in talking to us than to the police. … We also have the language skills to communicate with people … and sometimes it’s not just about language, but about culture. If I go to the house of an individual, and we look the same, and we speak the same language, and maybe we’re even from the same country originally, then that individual may be able to trust and open up and communicate with me better.

Featured photo: Biram Saidybah. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Matt Berry and Dante Marino

Matt Berry and Dante Marino, along with Dante’s brother Vinny, are co-owners of Deadproof Pizza Co. (deadproofpizza.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @deadproofpizzaco), a mobile pizza pop-up company launched earlier this year that now regularly appears at local breweries, events and private catering gigs. The group made their debut at Taco Tour Manchester on May 5 — since then, they’ve appeared at several events, including 603 Brewery’s 10th anniversary celebration in Londonderry in June, and the annual Keep NH Brewing Festival in Concord earlier this month. Deadproof Pizza Co. features a core menu of eight pies, all served in 10-inch sizes, from a classic cheese to a meat lover’s pizza, a Hawaiian pizza and a prosciutto and fig pizza, along with rotating specials. With his wife, Lauren, Berry also co-owns Dahlia Restaurant, a series of New England-inspired farm-to-table pop-up dinners oftentimes organized in collaboration with area businesses. Marino, meanwhile, is the owner of Ethos & Able Creative, a local marketing and branding business. You can find Deadproof Pizza Co. next at Lithermans Limited Brewery (126B Hall St., Concord), where Berry and Marino will be slinging pizzas on Saturday, July 23, from noon to 8 p.m.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Matt: We use spoons constantly. … We also stumbled across this mini 12-inch pizza turner when we were testing different peels we wanted to use. It’s the best thing we’ve ever bought.

Dante: When I cook at home, I underestimate how much I use a spatula. I feel like I’m always doing something with it.

What would you have for your last meal?

Dante: My grandmother’s fried eggplant and chicken cutlets.

Matt: A bacon double cheeseburger with French fries and a strawberry milkshake.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Matt: Earth’s Harvest in Dover. [Chef] George [Bezanson] makes the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. … He’s such a good dude, one of the sweetest, genuine people in my life, and his sandwiches are unreal.

Dante: If I had to go with someone more recently, we met The Traveling Foodie at the Keep NH Brewing Festival, and their stuff was nuts. They do some absolutely amazing food.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from Deadproof Pizza Co.?

Matt: Pauly Shore. I’ve always wanted to see him. It’s low-key on my bucket list.

Dante: Ryan Reynolds. I just think he fits our vibe. He’s deadpan funny, and also he’s Deadpool, and we’re Deadproof.

What is your favorite pizza on your menu?

Dante: For me, it would definitely be the Trust Fund. It’s a pie with whipped Boursin cheese, truffle hot sauce and prosciutto.

Matt: Our classic OG. It’s such a good pie. I’ll eat it cold and it’s still delicious.

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

Matt: Cliche enough, I’m going to say right now that it’s pop-ups. Some people have been starting their own pop-up businesses like myself, just after quarantine. … They’re definitely becoming more and more relevant in New Hampshire, and luckily ours have been very well received.

Dante: People are realizing that starting their own pop-ups are more accessible now than ever, and it’s a nod to how closely knit businesses have become. … They may not even be in the same industry, but they work together.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Dante: I guess my favorite thing would be smash patties or fried chicken, because I like to find ways to be experimental with different flavors.

Matt: At the end of the day, it’s whatever’s quick and simple and what my daughter will eat. She just turned 2 and she has a palate that’s better than most adults I know. We definitely feed her some not very traditional things. She’s absolutely not picky.

“The perfect pie”
From the kitchen of Matt Berry and Dante Marino of Deadproof Pizza Co.

For the dough:
¼ cup warm water
¼ Tablespoon sugar
¼ Tablespoon active dry yeast
Heavy pinch of kosher salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for forming
2 teaspoons garlic oil
Heavy pinch of fine cornmeal

Toppings:
2 ounces pizza sauce of choice
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ounce grated pecorino cheese (grated Parmesan also works)
4 to 5 fresh basil leaves
Pinch of Maldon salt (flaky sea salt)
5 whole cloves garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

Combine the olive oil with thyme, rosemary, oregano and whole cloves of garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, or until the garlic has turned golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt; stir to dissolve. Strain and let cool. Dissolve the sugar, yeast and salt into the lukewarm water. Add the strained oil. Add the flour — start with 5-and-a-half cups, adding as needed — and mix by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let it sit for about one to two hours. If you have a pizza stone, place it in an oven set to 450 degrees at least 30 to 45 minutes before you intend to bake. Remove dough and form into a circle by hand on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out to roughly 10 inches, keeping it as circular as possible. Once rolled out, slide onto a peel (or a flat cookie sheet with no edges) that’s been lightly dusted with cornmeal. Add your sauce and cheese. Carefully slide the pie off the peel onto your preheated pizza stone and let it cook for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Pull out of the oven and immediately dust with pecorino. Sprinkle evenly and let your pie cool for about two minutes. Roll up your basil leaves and slice thinly, throwing some on your pie to taste. Slice up, sprinkle your slices with Maldon salt and enjoy.

Featured photo: Left to right: Vinny Marino, Matt Berry and Dante Marino, co-owners of Deadproof Pizza Co. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Crystal Murray

Campground manager

Crystal Murray is the manager at Suncook River Family Camp Resort in Suncook.

Explain your job and what it entails.

The first thing I do each day is make a drive-through to check on all the guests, say good morning and see how everyone’s doing. Then, I check the mail, voicemails, emails and get set up for my day and make my to-do list of things I need to do and people I need to get back to. Then, I meet with my co-worker — sometimes we’ll even go out on the kayaks for our morning meeting — and we go over any pressing issues we have, and we’ll schedule our [campground] events and what we’re doing on the weekends.

How long have you had this job?

We opened this campground last year, in 2021. Before that, I worked at another campground, and before that, I used to work at Camping World.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

When I started working at Camping World, that’s what set off my interest in the outdoors and got me wanting to get into camping and canoeing and all that. Then, when I started working at actual campgrounds, that brought on a love for meeting people who are actually out camping, and I realized I definitely preferred being more involved and being part of the actual camping experience, as opposed to just being in sales.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I’ve learned a lot of skills along the way, [such as] people skills, interacting with people and understanding their needs and how to give them the best experience; and definitely time management skills and scheduling.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Most days, when it’s hot, and I’m in and out of the office, running around, checking on things, I’m wearing a T-shirt or tank top and shorts or a swim skirt.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

Since Covid, camping and RVing have really taken off. When we first opened, we were focused on how to accommodate guests with all of the Covid guidelines. This year, we’ve been trying to balance having more people and more activities and things for them to do.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

That it’s OK to set boundaries and have guidelines and structured rules. As friendly as I am, it definitely helps to have a backbone and to assert yourself to make sure everyone is safe and having a good time. All the rules we have in place are there for a reason, so it’s OK to make sure that everyone is following those rules and to not be a pushover.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I hope people know that it’s more than just a day job for me; it’s something I’m very involved in and very passionate about. My whole heart is in it. I could write a book on every guest we have here; our guests are like family, and the kids here are like my kids, whether they’re just staying for a week or staying for the whole season. It’s a very family-oriented energy and atmosphere we have here.

What was the first job you ever had?

Bed Bath & Beyond, folding towels in the linens department.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

You can’t be everybody’s best friend.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Anything by Dolores Cannon.
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite music: I really like Stevie Nicks.
Favorite food: Mexican
Favorite thing about NH: The people and the seasons.

Featured photo: Crystal Murray. Courtesy photo.

A place in time

Colorado author pays tribute to New Hampshire

Colorado author Christina Holbrook discussed her debut novel All the Flowers of the Mountain, which is set in New Hampshire and was inspired, she said, by the times she spent in the Granite State during her childhood.

What is your connection to New Hampshire?

I grew up in New York, and my parents owned a house in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, where we spent all of our summers and winter vacations. Also, my grandparents had farms in New Hampshire. At that time in my life New Hampshire made such a deep impression on me. I felt like my heart was in the White Mountains. I’ve had that feeling through most of my life. As an adult I lived in New York City, and now I’m in Colorado, but I always found a way, especially in the summers, to get back to New Hampshire for a visit. I feel like it’s the home of my imagination.

What is All the Flowers of the Mountain about?

It’s a love story and a coming-of-age story about growing up in New Hampshire. It begins in the present and then moves back to this particular summer when these two main characters meet each other, impact each other’s lives and eventually go their separate ways. It ends in the present again, with the open question as to what will finally happen with this relationship that was so important to these two characters.

What is the significance of New Hampshire in the story?

… The setting is extremely important to the story. It has a big impact on the characters, how they interact with each other and the choices they make and is part of how the story comes together in the end.

What made you want to write this novel at this time in your life?

I’ve been a writer all my life … but I’ve spent my professional life in publishing. … I feel like I’ve always been in sort of a supporting role to other creative people, and I felt like it was finally time for me to put myself in more of a center role as a creative person. … [Another reason was] becoming older. I’m 61 years old now, and in your late 50s and early 60s you start to reflect back on all the things that made you who you are. … New Hampshire is a place that means so much to me in my life. I have a really deep nostalgia for this period of time when I grew up in this particular place, and I really wanted to write about it. … Many of the places that were part of my life back then are included in the story. I’ve described [the book] to my publisher as ‘my love song to New Hampshire.’

What has the writing and publishing process been like?

I started putting the pen to paper on a draft about five years ago. About six months later I had my first draft, and I spent the next year revising it. Then I started to send it out to literary agents to try to get representation. By the beginning of 2020 I had an agent who wanted me to do more revisions … and I ended up rewriting the entire novel. … It took me until this past March to finish that draft. I turned it in to my agent, and she was thrilled because it was such a departure [from] and quite a big improvement on the story. … Also at the end of March, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I had surgery in April, and I’ve just finished six weeks of radiation. It’s a pretty serious situation. In the world of publishing, it could easily take my agent six months to a year to find a publisher, and then it could take two more years [to publish it], and at this point, I don’t know if I have two or three years to wait. A local publisher in Colorado came to me and said, ‘We understand your situation. We will get this book out in three months for you.’ They had a team of people do the copy editing, cover design, proofing, everything, and they pulled the whole thing together in three months.

When was the last time you were in New Hampshire, and when will you be back?

The last time I was in New Hampshire was last summer, and we will be going again this summer, probably toward the end of August. I’m working on [scheduling] a book signing there. … I’m really hoping to share this story with people in New Hampshire. Two years ago, during Covid, when there were all these remote writers groups, I also ended up connecting [with] and joining the New Hampshire Writers Project … and started to join them on their monthly Zoom calls.

What would you like people to take away from your book?

I feel like Vermont and Maine get a lot of play but people don’t always know about how incredibly beautiful and magical New Hampshire is. … I hope that, for people who haven’t been to New Hampshire, this book will give them an interest and curiosity to come visit the Granite State. For people who have lived in New Hampshire, I hope it gives them a sense of pleasure to recognize the places and descriptions of New Hampshire.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Erica Ceravolo

Erica Ceravolo of Wilton is the kitchen manager and chef of Riley’s Place (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 325-2177, rileysplacellc.com), a comfort food restaurant and music hall that opened in the tavern space adjoining Milford’s historic Colonel Shepard House in April. A native of New Jersey, Ceravolo grew up working in her grandmother’s bakery in Bloomfield, just outside of Newark. She was recruited by Riley’s Place owner Kimberley King to design and oversee a menu of home-cooked comfort foods with Southern nods, all to complement the music hall’s weekly schedule of live blues, rock and country acts. You’ll find everything here from scratch-cooked jambalaya and macaroni and cheese to pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches, shrimp po’ boys, ribs, Cajun rice and beans, ice cream and more. Prior to joining the staff of Riley’s Place, Ceravolo worked in the kitchen and oversaw cooking programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley for several years.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Always in my hand or always by my side is a sharp knife, which for me is multi-purpose.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would be my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings. That was my comfort food growing up, that’s what she made when I was sick, and what she made on my birthday every year. … It just reminds me of home.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I work a lot, so obviously I don’t get out much, but my go-to is Riverhouse Cafe in Milford, right on the Oval. I love that place, so if I had the choice right now to go anywhere, I’d go there. … [I get] either a burger or some kind of breakfast food. They have this thing called the Bird’s Nest that I crave sometimes. It’s got all the breakfast foods in it but it looks like a little bird’s nest.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Riley’s Place?

It would be a toss-up between Stanley Tucci, whose show about Italy I’m obsessed with, and Guy Fieri.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My personal favorite thing on the menu right now would probably be the pulled pork nachos. I’m a huge nachos fan. … I really wanted to create nachos that were very layered, so that with every bite you’re getting pulled pork, salsa and cheese. It’s simple but it’s so flavorful.

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

I think it’s two things — one is either gluten-free or non-meat options. Then, I think the other thing is that, especially during Covid, it’s really all about sticking with [buying] local and not always going to the big guys to get stuff from.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I actually talked to my kids about this one, because a lot of my cooking is based on what they ask for. … One of our favorite things to cook is grilled cheese, and we like to experiment, so we’ll try different breads, different cheeses … [and] we’ll put different meats on it, different spices and sauces and things to dip it in. We’re always elevating our grilled cheeses. … I like a good mild cheddar, like the Hoffman cheddar. That’s probably my go-to for grilled cheese, because it’s not bland but it doesn’t overpower anything else I put in it either, so you can taste all those flavors.

Homemade barbecue sauce
From the kitchen of Erica Ceravolo of Riley’s Place in Milford

1½ cups ketchup
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons mustard

Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the sauce simmers, feel free to add a few tablespoons of water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Sauce may be served immediately but if you have some extra time, cover and chill for at least one hour for the best flavor.

Featured photo: Erica Ceravolo. Courtesy photo.

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