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Quality of Life 26/05/28

Hey! Their feelings are tender, too!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats occasionally play under two other names during home games: the Manchester Chicken Tenders (to celebrate Manchester’s reputation as the “Chicken Tender Capital of America”) and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes (celebrating New Hampshire’s special history of UFO reports). In an open letter to the team on May 12, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine asked the team “to retire your Manchester Chicken Tenders identity and stop Tender Tuesdays, both of which promote unhealthy fried chicken.” The letter went on to explain that “eating 300 grams of poultry — about six typical chicken tenders — per week has also been found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and death from all causes.”

QOL score: -1 because, we know, docs, but hands off our tendies (meanwhile, chicken tender fans can head to instagram.com/tendertownies to check out the 2026 Chicken Tender Passport challenge and contest going on until July 21 at participating Manchester restaurants)

Comment: In a May 20 email to the Hippo, Fisher Cats General Manager Taylor Fisher wrote: “We are aware of the press release from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The Chicken Tenders is an alternate identity meant to capture the fun, quirky nature of Minor League Baseball, an experience we’re proud to create for our fans no matter what we’re playing as. We’re equally proud of the local history the identity is based on, paying homage to Manchester’s Puritan Backroom Restaurant, where the chicken tenders were invented in 1974, a legacy our community understands and celebrates.”

Spring can be hard on a person’s lungs

Last week was a rough week for air quality. In a May 19 online article, NHPR reported that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services had issued a Code Orange alert “in anticipation of unhealthy ground-level ozone in Rockingham County,” adding, “The air quality alert also covers parts of the state that are higher than 2,000 feet in elevation.” Additionally, a May 22 forecast on accuweather.com predicted levels of airborne tree pollen between “high” and “very high” for the following week in the Manchester area.

QOL score: -2

Comment: According to the NHPR article, “a ‘code orange’ is an alert issued when air pollution levels are considered unhealthy for children and older adults, anyone with lung disease, and people who are active outdoors. Experts recommend people take precautions by limiting outdoor exertion.” AccuWeather.com advised pollen-sensitive breathers, “During peak season for tree pollen, keep your windows and doors closed, especially on windy days. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning, and be sure to shower and change clothes after coming indoors. Taking allergy medication can also help alleviate symptoms.”

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 48

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Summer begins

The Big Story – Memorial Day weekend

It’s not officially summer, but it makes it feel like summer has arrived. However, it brings an early holiday deadline that messes with my usual formula, so I’m doing something a little different today by giving my blueprint for how the C’s should reshuffle the deck.

Sports 101: Name the only three basketball players to win a HS State Championship, NCAA title, NBA title and Olympic gold.

News Item – Calendar Day: Come Monday, June 1, the Eagles can affordably make the long-rumored A.J. Brown deal to the Pats. What cost is moving him worth to you? Not more than a second-round pick for me, because at 29 he’s probably got three years left as a prime receiver.

Celtics Blueprint

The annual “we have to split up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown” nonsense has begun. However, while it is a dumb practice, I could live with a deal for either depending upon whether the offer was eye-opening enough. It would have to achieve at least one of the following; (1) Makes them younger and deeper. (2) Someone in the middle who can cover Joel Embiid. (3) Spreads out years between max contracts to top players to manage the cap better. (4) A younger, cheaper on-the-way-up guy who’ll grow into what Brown or Tatum were at the same age in their careers.

Who Goes – Tatum or Brown: This year taught us they can win with either. So the one who goes is simply the one who brings the most back. That’s likely Tatum.

Rumors – Giannis Antetokounmpo: He’s one of my all-time favorites. But he’s 32, unsigned past this year, and his last two seasons have ended with injuries. All red flags. The only place he improves what’s needed most is size and scoring underneath.

A few names who’d interest me:

Nikola Jokic – Not likely, but Denver may be looking to shake it up. They’d give up quickness to fill the hole in the middle while improving ability to score better in half court and rebounding.

Deni Avdija – What’s not to like? He scores, rebounds and passes. Just nobody around here knows how good he is.

Stephon Castle – This guy’s got it — duende. A winner.

Jalen Johnson– It took him a while to get the career going with Atlanta but he’s been solid the last two years, culminating with last year’s 22.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.

Acceptable deals:

Scottie Barnes and R.J. Barrett –Makes them more versatile offensively by adding two 20-point-per-night scorers for Toronto last year.

Amen Thompson– His age 21, 22 and 23 with Houston were all better than Brown’s. And he’s already the best wing defender in the league. Throw in 7-footer Jabari Smith to add size in the middle and I’m in.

The Numbers:

22 – points behind with 8:19 left before the Knicks overcame the largest fourth-quarter playoff deficit in franchise history in their 115-104 Game 1 playoff win over Cleveland

60.2 – regular season shooting percent for MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which is unheard of by a guard

A Little History – The Memorial Day Massacre: It was an epic beatdown when the Celtics opened the 1985 NBA Finals with a 148-114 Game 1 slaughter of the Lakers. So bad that Celtics rookie Charles Bradley turned it into the first Celtics dunk-a-thon.

But it was also a lesson that taught all it was just one game, nothing more. Which L.A. demonstrated by winning the next two leading to a 4-2 Finals win.

Sports 101 Answer: The rare four-title champs are Jerry Lucas, Magic Johnson and Quinn Buckner.

Final Thought – Be Careful What You Wish For: The L.A. Clippers had Kawhi Leonard ready to re-sign if they could acquire another major star like Oak City’s Paul George. Which the usually wrong pundits all said would make them a true contender. But this deal reminds us trades are not won on paper, as Thunder GM Sam Presti used L.A.’s desperation for a star to extract an astonishing six first-round picks and an afterthought rookie on their current roster for George.

So who won that deal? Well, the Clippers never won more than 51 games, missed the playoffs entirely once, were Round 1 losers twice, and after playing just 236 of 410 games with L.A. the constantly injured George is now in Philly.

Meanwhile one of those six picks became All-Star Jalen Williams, and that rookie thrown into the deal is now two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after leading them to become reigning NBA champs and getting close again. And astonishingly they still have the 12th pick this year from a deal made in 2020.

Thus desperation led L.A. to make arguably the worst NBA trade in history.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/05/28

Teacher award

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced the three finalists for 2027 Teacher of the Year: Rebecca Fortgang, a French teacher at Pembroke Academy in Pembroke; Katherine McDonough, a Latin teacher at Rundlett Middle School and Concord High School in Concord, and Christ Powers, a math teacher at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, according to a May 19 press release. “An award winner will be announced in June,” the release said.

Give blood, get stuff

The American Red Cross is calling on people to give blood ahead of the summer season, according to a May 20 press release from the American Red Cross Northern New England Region. Schedule a donation at redcrossblood.org. Those who donate by May 31 will receive an oversized Red Cross beach towel while supplies last, the release said. Those who donate between June 1 and June 28 will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice and be entered for a chance to win one of two $7,500 gift cards, the release said. See RedCrossBlood.org/June for details.

Eyass update

Madi, named by Manchester’s Hillside Middle School’s fifth-grade math and science class for Mount Madison, hatched early May 20 and is the first eyass (falcon hatchling) to hatch from the group of five eggs this season at the peregrine falcon nest at the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester, according to the Daily Log accessible via the live video feeds from the nest. The peregrine cam offers livestreaming video of the nest via NH Audubon and the support of Peregrine Networks and Brady Sullivan Properties, according to nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/peregrine-cam. A meet & greet for those looking to learn more about the peregrine falcons will take place Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. at Brady Sullivan Tower, 1750 Elm St. in Manchester, according to the log, where you can find a list of needed supplies for the Wings of Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Bird Sanctuary in Henniker.

Art show for a cause

Darbster Rescue will hold its Pawsitive Energy Juried Art Show at Darbster Kitty, 332 Kelley St. in Manchester, Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7, with a reception on June 4 from 5 to 8 p.m., according to a press release. Darbster Rescue will receive a donation for each sale, according to darbsterfoundation.com.

Pride month

Manchester True Collaborative will hold the Pride Flag raising at City Hall Plaza in Manchester on Monday, June 1, at 11:30 a.m., according to a post on the group’s Facebook page, where you can find details about other upcoming Pride Month events.

Writers’ Conference

The New Hampshire Writers’ Project will hold its annual 603 Writers’ Conference on Saturday, June 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, featuring “expert-led workshops, a moderated AI panel discussion, the signature Pitch Party & Social, catered meals, and networking opportunities,” according to a press release. See nhwritersproject.org to register.

Correction

The Taste of Downtown Nashua will take place Wednesday, June 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to downtownnashua.org, where you can check back for updates and to purchase tickets. (Hippo’s Summer Guide in the May 21 issue had the event incorrectly listed for earlier in June.)

“LaBelle in Bloom,” a five-year anniversary celebration for the LaBelle Winery’s Derry location (14 Route 111 in Derry), will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m., according to labellewinery.com, where you can purchase tickets and see the dinner menu. The gala will also serve as a fundraiser for Lydia’s House of Hope, the website said.

A plant sale to benefit Community Hospice House will take place Saturday, May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at St. John Neumann Parish, 708 Milford Road in Merrimack, according to thebiglittlegarden.com. Have a plant sale? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

There will be a Household Hazardous Waste Collection day on Thursday, June 4, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Nashua Park and Ride, 25 Crown St. in Nashua for residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham, according to a press release. “Businesses must call NRPC [417-6570] to register and pay,” the release said. The cost is a “$20 fee per vehicle, for up to 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Cash or check made out to NRSWMD. … No Latex/Acrylic Paint, No Electronics, No Medications,” the release said. See nashuarpc.org/hhw.

Summer Guide 2026 — 05/21/2026

on the cover

It’s summer! Or at least, it’s the season of festivals and happenings that start Memorial Day weekend and offer up those summer vibes. In this week’s issue of the Hippo, we bring you oodles of summer events including fairs and festivals, art events, music festivals, outdoor and summer playhouse theater, nature events and more. Load up on sunscreen and get ready to head out for some summer fun.

Also on the cover Looking for some tasty fun? John Fladd serves up all the details on Manchester’s Taco Tour (next Thursday, May 28) and the Concord-based Sweet Springtime Stroll (this Saturday, May 23). See page 24 for those stories. John also talks to an organizer at the Rubber Duck Regatta in Nashua, part of four days of fun planned in the Gate City (page 23). Michael Witthaus also gets all the details about the ongoing Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. This year’s sculptors are working now on pieces that will become a part of the city’s landscape (page 20).

Read the e-edition

News & Notes 26/05/21

260521 Featured Content News

Memorial Day It’s a weekend of Memorial Day parades and celebrations. Here are a few: • The Amherst Memorial Day ...

Sox still scuffling along

260521 News Sports

The Big Story – Baseball at the Quarter Turn: It has not been pretty for your Boston Red Sox. They’ve ...

Quality of Life 26/05/21

260521 News Quality Of Life

Fewer ODs As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control ...

This Week 26/05/21

poster for movie Legally Blonde showing young blonde woman in pink dress stepping forward while carrying thick books, groups of students watching her in background

260521 News This Week

Thursday, May 21 The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will hold a Shaker Barn Dance tonight from ...

Summer Guide 2026

260521 Cover Stories Featured Content

It’s summer! Or, it’s “summer” — the state of mind we enter sometime around Memorial Day weekend, when we dig ...

Meet the sculptors

collage of four portraits in a four square, one man and three women

260521 Art & Theater Featured Content

Nashua International Sculpture Symposium offers access to artists In front of a revitalized Civil War-era cotton mill, four sculptors are ...

Treasure Hunt 26/05/21

small figurines standing in different poses

260521 Family Fun Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna, I have several of these metal figures. They belonged to my grandfather. Do you think they are safe ...

Duckie race

hundreds of yellow rubber ducks with sunglasses floating in river

260521 Featured Content Outdoors

Buy a six-quack and watch On Saturday, May 23, the Downtown Nashua Association will launch what it hopes will become ...

The Weekly Dish 26/5/21

260521 Food

• A new Aroma Joe’s: There is a new location of the coffee joint Aroma Joe’s at 700 Mast Road, ...

Taco party downtown

crowd of people outside of restaurant, some standing in line, sunny evening on downtown sidewalk

260521 Featured Content Food

Manchester’s Taco Tour returns Manchester’s annual Taco Tour will take place Thursday, May 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. For ...

Dessert walk

woman behind table filled with pastries and desserts for sale inside larger space, while customers look at the selection

260521 Food

Try a sample of treats at the Springtime Sweet Stroll “In a nutshell,” Emma Stetson, the owner of Wine on ...

Double chocolate orange cranberry cookies

chunky chocolate cookies sitting on plate beside tall glass of milk on counter, tray of cookies in the background

260521 Drink Food

1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (80 g) dark rye flour ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder ...

Album Reviews 26/05/21

album covers for Simon Hanes, Gargantua and Crow and Gazelle, Truth Be Told

260521 Albums Pop

Simon Hanes, Gargantua (Pyroclastic Records) If you’ve already read the Playlist piece this week, you know I am presently besieged ...

The Music Roundup 26/05/21

260521 Music This Week

• Blues power: Until he stumbled into a Chicago nightclub in the early 1990s, Johnny Burgin planned to be a ...

Blood harmony

260521 Featured Content Nightlife

The Janzen Boys make first New England visit While anchored by steady acoustic bass, joyful strumming and finger-picked flourishes, the ...

Blood harmony

The Janzen Boys make first New England visit

While anchored by steady acoustic bass, joyful strumming and finger-picked flourishes, the not-so-secret sauce of folk trio The Janzen Boys is their gorgeous harmonizing. The Canadian band — guitarist John “JJ” Janzen and his sons Mick (mandolin and drums) and Simon (bass) — delivers utterly transcendent vocals.

A stellar example is “Flight To JFK,” a single released early in the year. Their blending on the Theo Kandel cover evokes memories of hearing Crosby, Stills and Nash first sing together in Cass Elliot’s Laurel Canyon home in 1968. When it happened initially for The Janzen Boys, JJ was just as stunned by their blood harmony.

“I would cry like a baby the first few times,” he said in a recent Zoom meeting that included Mick. “They’re like, ‘Dad, why are you crying?’ and I’d say, ‘It’s OK … I’m just happy, and sometimes the happy comes out of my face like that.’ Because it sounded so good, and I couldn’t believe it.”

That it happened at all was a product of coercion, albeit gentle.

After living in Japan for most of their lives, the Janzen family moved back to Ottawa in the early 2010s. At the time, they were taking a break from music.

“My marriage was kind of falling apart,” JJ explained. When a busking gig opened up in 2012, Simon wanted to restart the band. This bothered Mick, who felt the initial idea to form a group was his.

However, Mick played drums because, JJ explained, “He hated being at the front of the stage,” and he also didn’t sing. “I saw an opportunity … I said, ‘OK, you can be in, but only if you sing and play, because Simon sings and plays and I sing and play. You have to sing too.’ And then he said, ‘OK, fine.’”

With that, three voices became a breathtaking chorus. Fourteen years later, The Janzen Boys are a mainstay in their home country and recently began touring in the U.S. They’re also readying their first visit to the U.K. later this year. Critics liken them to a male version of The Wailin’ Jennys, as well as fellow Canadians Neil Young and Barenaked Ladies.

A sad truth of the modern music business is that talent isn’t everything. Fortunately, they’ve found novel ways to succeed. Mick is their social media maven, posting compelling mini-clips of the band’s music on social media to drive ticket sales. A recent a cappella version of the Scottish traditional song “The Parting Glass” on Instagram is a good example.

JJ does booking and a few years back found a unique and quite lucrative approach to it that finds them performing in a lot of places that are new to hosting live music. Two such venues are part of their upcoming area run — Bradford’s Town Hall on May 24, and a May 22 date at Peterborough’s Community Theatre that’s already sold out.

Their self-promotion strategy “is not brand new, and we didn’t invent it, but there are not a lot of bands doing it,” JJ said, “but it’s becoming more popular mainly because it can make music possible and profitable in a time where it’s been pretty challenging. We just find a community hall with a stage that rents for a reasonable price, and lets you set up chairs.”

Ultimately, the music carries them, sometimes in unexpected ways. Like the fan in Kentucky who wanted the band to play her daughter’s wedding enough to spend thousands of dollars to clear a months-long visa roadblock, because she believed their harmony could settle down two politically fractious families.

“She actually said, ‘I want you to come sing some peace into the situation,’” JJ recalled. The gathering became an anchor for their first Stateside tour in 2024. “She said, ‘I’m dreading how this wedding could possibly go. Your music makes me feel calm and peaceful, so I want you to come and sing.’”

It’s soothing music, agreed Mick. “A friend of mine said to me, ‘Harmonies are a drug, and you guys are smoking it.’”

All Your Friends

Featured photo: All Your Friends. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 26/05/21

• Blues power: Until he stumbled into a Chicago nightclub in the early 1990s, Johnny Burgin planned to be a writer. But the city’s blues scene captivated him, and before long he was playing in a band and sharing stages with legends like Sam Lay, Billy Boy Arnold and Pinetop Perkins. Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., Brickhouse Restaurant & Brewery, 241 Union Square, Milford, johnnyburgin.com.

• Laugh tonight: A night of standup is headlined by Jay Chanoine, with Klia Ververidis and Rick Gauthier. Friday, May 22, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 81, 169 Bound Tree Road, Hopkinton, $20, eventbrite.com.

• Guitar hero: Early on, guitarist Quinn Sullivan knew his destiny. His parents taught him the Mt. Rushmore of rockers: Beatles, Stones, Dead, Allmans. It was a vital inculcation; Sullivan picked up a guitar at age 3, guested on Ellen at 6, was mentored by blues giant Buddy Guy when he turned 8, and as a teenager he played with rock music giants at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival. Friday, May 22, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $40 and up, tupelohall.com.

• Country man: The outdoor venue behind Town Cabin Restaurant & Deli is now open, with Willy Chase one of four weekend performers (Sunday Ave. plays Friday, Justin Federico’s on Sunday, with Taylor Hughes on Memorial Day). Chase is nearing completion of a long-awaited EP; a teaser from one of its tracks is on the socials — “Pushin’ My Luck” is a great drink and regret song. Saturday, May 23, 6 p.m., The Barnyard, 285 Old Candia Road, Candia, candiabarnyardvenue.com.

• Rock doll: With her first official live album set for release next month, Samantha Fish has a pair of upcoming shows in New Hampshire.Sunday, May 24, 7 p.m., Nasha Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $55 and up, etix.com.

Quality of Life 26/05/28

Summer begins

News & Notes 26/05/28

Summer Guide 2026 — 05/21/2026

Blood harmony

The Music Roundup 26/05/21

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