Mosquito tips
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services sent out a press release reminding people that we are in the thick of mosquito season.
In New Hampshire, three viruses circulate among mosquitoes: Jamestown Canyon virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus and West Nile virus. So far this summer, one mosquito batch each from Londonderry and Keene have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus and one mosquito batch each from Manchester and Nashua have tested positive for West Nile virus, the release said. This year so far, there have been two adults from Belknap County hosptialized with Jamestown Canyon virus but no human infections of West Nile or Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses, the release said.
“Mosquito-transmitted diseases can have long-term impacts on people’s health,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan in the release from the Department’s Divison of Public Health Services. “The risk for diseases like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis will only increase as the summer progresses and we move into the fall, so everyone should take steps to prevent mosquito bites.”
All three viruses have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue, the release said. In rare cases, the diseases can infect the nervous system including the brain and spinal cord, the release said.
To prevent bites, the release recommends:
• Wearing protective clothing including long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and insect repellents.
• Taking precautions in mosquito habitats including forests, marshes and tall grasses.
• Eliminating standing water.
• Making sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.
Call the division with mosquito-borne disease questions at 603-271-4496 and see dhhs.nh.gov for the map of mosquito-borne illness risk levels and detections in New Hampshire.
New historic places
The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources has announced in a press release that the State Historical Resources Council has added seven properties to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places. These include:
• First Baptist Church of Manchester, built in 1872 in the Italianate style, which played a role in the creation of several other Baptist churches in the city and offered spaces for non-Baptist congregations to meet and grow, according to the release.
• The First Unitarian Congregational Church, dedicated January 10, 1861, and the third Congregational meetinghouse in Wilton, the first to be built solely as a Congregational Church rather than as a meetinghouse for both church and town use. It combines elements of both Greek Revival and Gothic Revival architectural styles with a small addition added in 1924, according to the release.
• The James A. Bryant Memorial Library, built in Northwood in 1941 and named for its benefactor, a Union Army veteran. It was the town’s first permanent and free-standing library, although its library operations ended in 1989 and the building now houses the local historical society’s collections, according to the release.
• The Josiah and Sarah Brown Farm in Stratham, with a main house built in the Federal style in 1816 and what appears to be a seventeenth century two-story ell that may be one of the oldest existing buildings in town.
• Peterborough’s Kyes-Sage House, which was built in 1845 and is an example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, a variant of the Gothic Revival style of architecture that was popular in homes between the 1840s and the 1870s.
• The Acworth Village Store, a relatively unaltered example of a mid-nineteenth century commercial building built in 1865.
• The Aldworth Stone Gateway, erected in 1906-1907, a physical reminder of Harrisville’s history of summer estates built in the early 20th century and was the entryway to wealthy industrialists Arthur and Alice Childs’ home through much of the 1930s.
Learn about the nomination processes for the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places at nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov.
Food drive
According to a press release, Belletetes, a family-owned and -operated lumber and building supply company based in New Hampshire, started a month-long food drive at all 10 of its locations in support of the New Hampshire Food Bank.
Belletetes will supplement food donations with a monetary contribution to the New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, and will place donation bins at the front of each store, including at 80 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua; 129 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, and 89 Route 13, Brookline, according to the release. Visit nhfoodbank.org/get-involved/donate/most-needed-items or belletetes.com.
In other food news
2024 is “The Year of the Plum’’ according to the New Hampshire Fruit Growers Association. Last year a cold snap wiped out almost the entire crop across New Hampshire, but in a July 29 press release the Association announced that “plums are making a major comeback this year.” The press release went on to say that while plums are typically harvested in August, many growers have already begun harvesting. To see if there is an orchard with plums near you, check out the NHFGA website at nhfruitgrowers.org/find-an-orchard.
Save the date for the 46th annual Alton Bay Boat Show, returning to the Alton Town Docks on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon and featuring a variety of vintage boats on display. Admission is free. See the nhbm.org/alton-bay-boat-show for details
Pianist Asiya Korepanova will perform with cellist Yoni Draiblate of the Florida Orchestra and vocalist Kimberly Oppelt for a “Classical Confection” lawn concert at Crow’s Feat Farm in Kensington (178 Drinkwater Road, 498-6262, crowsfeatfarm.org) on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $10. A picnic lunch is offered at 1 p.m. for $30.
Head to Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (15 Mall Road, 890-7111) for a series of “Big in ’84” films including The Karate Kid on Monday, Aug. 12; The Terminator on Tuesday, Aug. 13, and Gremlins on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 7:15 p.m. Tickets cost $5 plus fee at cinemark.com. The series continues through Aug. 18.
