Running through mid-October, “Summer at The Fells” is an exhibition of work from more than a dozen members of New Hampshire Furniture Masters. Held at the John Hay Estate, it’s an event that should be attended more than once, as new pieces will be coming and going in the coming months. Many items will be available for purchase.
The venue befits the display. It was built in 1892 for John and Clara Hay as a place to summer — when that was a verb. The 83.5-acre property includes the 22-room Colonial Revival mansion, along with forest trails, lush gardens and shorelines. It is the only early 20th-century summer estate on Lake Sunapee that’s still intact and open to the public.
Some of the pieces on display were done by Ted Blachly, who’s been a Furniture Masters member since its inception in 1995. Blachly’s past work includes a sensuously curved chest made of curly sugar maple and rosewood, created in 2014 for the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.
In a recent phone interview, Blachly said the makers at the Fells event range across several disciplines, like Dan Faya, who taught at the traditionally based North Bennet Street School in Boston. “He’s an expert carver, and his work is very clean,” Blachly said. “He has a chair up there that looks like an antique shield-backed chair, the carvings, that’s where his roots are.”
A distinctive room divider from relatively new member Lynn Szymanski blurs the line between form and function. “She has a more sculptural approach to making work,” Blachly said, “It’s a take on a three-panel screen that might be used in an old antique farmhouse; it has that feel about it. There’s a saw blade integrated in the top sections of the frame, and it’s kind of an interesting piece.”
Blachly began his road to furniture making in the early 1970s.
“It was during the back-to-the-land movement,” he said. “I fell into working on old houses with two really fussy carpenters, and I learned a lot. They saw that I had patience [so] they would often give me a fussy job or a pain-in-the-ass job, because they knew I would stick with it or work my way through it…. Having to solve odd problems, I think, really sort of helped me along.”
The following decade, he became part of a guild that included 17 furniture makers who would meet and discuss their work, and through that he met Jere Osgood, one of New Hampshire Furniture Masters’ founders. Osgood died last year.
“He was a world-renowned figure in the studio furniture field, a teacher and a very innovative maker,” Blachly said. “I ended up assisting him in his shop on an as-needed basis in 1993. I would go down there and help him with runs of chairs. Working for him at that level, I learned so much. It was a really wonderful part of my life. I stayed closely connected to him right up until he died. I worked on his stuff. I feel fortunate to have had that experience.”
Blachly’s Currier Chest is a testament to the painstaking discipline at his level of furniture making. From the initial curator outreach to completion, the elaborate piece took well over a year to finish. Made of sugar maple, Bolivian rosewood, white oak, quarter-sawn red maple and Sitka spruce, the piece is part of the Currier’s permanent collection.
“That was quite a woodworking adventure,” he said. “Through my work with Jere Osgood … his pieces are very sculptural with lots of curves — I had learned how to articulate and figure things with full-scale drawings and mock-ups [and] for that Currier chest I took it pretty far [and] a lot of the techniques or ways of figuring out how to do something was learning this stuff from Jere. It’s not something where you just take some wood and start hacking away and sawing away and get that. There’s all this other work that has to go in so you can build it.”
Summer at The Fells – NH Furniture Masters When: Daily through Friday, Oct. 12, with a House Party on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. Where: John Hay Estate at The Fells, 456 Route 103A, Newbury More: Free, register at eventbrite.com
Featured image: Currier Chest by Ted Blachly. Courtesy photo.
In this week’s cover story, we take a look at some of the places you and your doggos can head for some out-of-the-house fun — don’t forget to pack the water.
Dogs in nature
Outdoor places where pups can have fun too
By Zachary Lewis zlewis@hippopress.com
Our fuzzy canine companions who treat us better than we treat ourselves are always ready for an adventure. There are tons of locales in the Granite State for dogs and their owners to explore, whether it’s a dog park, a trail or even a sidewalk.
Samantha McKeon, the Vice President of Development of the Manchester Dog Park Association, a nonprofit organization, has two dogs, Fable and Zoey.
“It’s the bonding time,” McKeon said of taking dogs on outdoor adventures. “That’s the fun stuff. When you get a pet, you share activities together, you do things together and that builds your bond with your companion. Play time, walking, travel, adventures, those are experiences that you’re building with your best friend. It’s part of the relationship that you have with your pet. You do stuff together. It would be kind of messed up if you got a dog and you’re like, ‘You’re never leaving the house.’”
Dog parks
Most dog parks have some combination of “chairs, dog toys, and probably some agility platforms, poo poo bags, and just a space to run around in, off leash.”
The Manchester Dog Park (344 Second St., Manchester) has “chuck-it sticks, water holes, we have picnic tables, we have a dog house, an A frame, a cat walk…. Pretty soon there’ll be a water catchment system with a filter so we’ll have a water resource as well,” she said.
The Manchester Dog Park does require membership, so if you live outside Manchester or aren’t ready to make that kind of leap, there are other dog park options as well, like the dog park in Derry (Fordway, off Route 102).
“They have trails there as well as a boat launch and a lot of the people let their dog swim at the boat launch, which is a lot of fun,” McKeon said. “There is no water source for drinking so I do suggest you bring your own water.”
Bigger dog parks have their perks that wind up helping the littlest of puppers.
“They usually have two separate sections. For example, the Derry [dog] park, they have a small dog section and a big dog section. So they have a separate fenced area for smaller dogs although usually Zoey’s fine with big dogs but there’s a lot of small dogs that do need that separate area,” McKeon said.
Another fun park is Hudson Dog Park (19 Kimball Hill Road in Hudson) with a huge draw because it is located right by Benson park.
“They share a parking lot…. If I’m going to a dog park with my family I will tend to go to the Hudson Dog Park because Benson park is right there so we can have family fun as well as our pups…. They have a pond you can walk around and they have a bunch of swans and ducks there.”
A dog park McKeon is interested in exploring is the Terril Dog Park (7 Manchester St. in Concord).
“This month we’re going to be planning a trip to drive to Concord so we can visit the new dog park there,” she said.
So why bother to take your furry companion to a dog park?
“Socializing is huge. It’s a game-changer and parks are a great place for that. Also, it’s off leash. When you’re on trails or when you’re taking them out you have to have them on leash, but at a dog park … they can run really far, they can go fast … it’s more focused play and exercise so it just goes further,” McKeon said. And dogs can learn “proper dog play, how they communicate with each other.”
People parks
Gabrielle Tayag, a dog owner from Manchester, had recommendations for dog adventures at on-leash city parks.
“I own a Great Pyrenees; her name is Callie,” said Tayag, who was walking Callie around White Park in Concord. “She’s a rescue dog, so we always look for new places to take her, get her exposed to things. White Park in Concord is great and we actually do some training around here.”
Yawkey is Sam and Joe Newman’s mini Australian shepherd. Courtesy photo.
That’s not all. “Livingston Park in Manchester is great too to do some training at, walking around, there’s a beautiful trail there. Lots to see, lots of distractions…. Another good place is Heads Pond up in Hooksett. It’s a really nice trail that opens up to a beautiful lake … a good place to take the pups,” Tayag said.
Sam and Joe Newman from Granite State Glizzys, who were grilling up some hot dogs at Arms Park, mentioned a few of their favorite places for cool dog adventures.
“We have a mini-Australian Shepherd, who is 4 years old, his name is Yawkey, ideally we love to take him on hikes. In Hooksett there’s a path right near the dog park on the water, so we go there,” Sam Newman said.
“It’s the Hooksett Riverwalk Trail. It’s a great spot to bring dogs,” Joe added.
“Livingston Park, we’ll go for hikes there,” Sam Newman said. That’s one more vote for Livingston Park.
“If we’re going to take him out to run we go to Derryfield Park in Manchester, like to bring him on the fields just so it’s fenced in but sometimes we’ll just go right up on the hill because there are a lot of other dogs… really the main places we take him out and about,” Sam Newman said.
David Mack from Bedford and his wife, Rachel, take their dog Charlie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to fun spots in their area: “He is full of energy, we take him, in Bedford, to Pulpit Rock Hiking Trail, which is a beautiful little couple-mile hiking trail, very nice. It’s got lots of different flat sections, hills. Other than that, going around the Goffstown rail trail is I think just the perfect spot… lots of other dogs for him to sniff and just a really nice area to go on… .”
Katie Barker, from Bow, knew of some cool trails too.“We have a dog named Cleo and she is a little rescue puppy who’s about two years old and we usually take her to the Winant Park {Trails] area, it’s near St. Paul and it’s really pretty, you go up a little hill, there’s a really nice lookout at the top, so that’s one nice walking trail to take your dog on.”
Bow has its share of dog friendly spaces too. “I would say another one that we do is in Bow, it’s called Nottingcook Forest off of South Bow Road, that’s a really great one. There’s a couple of good outlooks there as well, so they’re just really fun little walks in the woods near some rivers so your dog can swim in the river. Cleo loves it, so I’m sure a bunch of other dogs will love it too,” Barker said.
Adventure supplies
What’s the No. 1 thing to bring on the adventure besides your puppy and sense of wonder? “Definitely water,” McKeon said. “Super important to bring water. We have a pop-up water bowl. Also, for trips where I am bringing a lot of stuff already, I also have a Kong brand water bottle and the top turns into a bowl itself. You take off the cap and it’s like open and you can pour the water in.”
First aid is a good idea too.
“If we’re going on a camping trip … I also have a sling that I bring with me so if she gets hurt or whatever I can carry her back if needed. Especially with bigger dogs like that, you’ve got to be prepared for any emergencies,” McKeon said.
Once you find a good leash and collar combo (see sidebar), some added flair can help you keep track of any dogs that get so sucked into their adventure they disappear.
“What I do for both of my dogs, and I always talk highly of it, Apple Trackers, they actually have cases that can slide on collars, and I have an Apple Tracker on both of my dogs’ collars so if they ever get loose I can track them on my phone,” McKeon said.
Tips on adventuring
Be aware of any rules before heading out: “Technically in New Hampshire for any State Parks, dogs aren’t supposed to be at beaches. Not everyone follows those rules….”
Charlie, David and Rachel Mack’s dog, at Cathedral Ledge. Courtesy photo.
What the trail is made up of is important too, especially in a hot summer, Mckeon said.
“Be mindful of pavement. Try to avoid places with a lot of pavement because that heats up. If you wouldn’t walk barefoot on it, don’t make them do it, because their paws can get really burned on the hot pavement in the summer,” she said.
The most important thing is that everyone, human and canine, is having fun.
“Be mindful before you take your dog on an adventure, like how much they’re capable. Dogs have personalities too. So if you take a dog, or you have a puppy, and you love going for a hike, camping, it doesn’t mean your dog’s going to like it. If you are going to adventure with your dog you have to make sure they’re comfortable too…. Don’t force your dog to go on an adventure they don’t want to go on,” she said.
If everyone is on board and all the supplies are accounted for, adventuring with dogs is one of the best things to do, she said.
“It’s just fun, it’s fun to take your dogs out. … You want to create those memories. You want to make sure they have a good experience and it’s healthy for them, it’s important for them, and that’s the fun thing for you as a human, getting that time with your dog,” she said.
Adventure spots
Find a list of the rail trails across the state at nhrtc.org or visit nhstatepark.org for a myriad of state parks to adventure with your dog. Here are some other spots worth a visit.
Dog Parks
• Manchester Dog Park 344 Second St. in Manchester manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Recreation-Facilities/Manchester-Dog-Park
• Hudson Dog Park 19 Kimball Hill Road in Hudson hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark/page/dog-park
• Derry Dog Park Fordway, off Route 102 in Derry derrynh.org/animal-control/pages/derry-dog-park)
• Terril Dog Park 7 Manchester St. in Concord bringfido.com/attraction/902
Other Parks
• White Park 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov
• Livingston Park 244 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov/parks
• Benson’s Park 19 Kimball Hall Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark
• Greeley Park Concord Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov
• Mine Falls Park Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov
Fable, Sam McKeon’s dog. Courtesy photo.
State parks
Day use fees for most state parks: adults, or those 12 or older, $4 to $5 depending on the park; ages 6 to 11 $2; free for those age 5 and younger and New Hampshire residents 65 or older with a valid NH license. Visit nhstateparks.org for rules about pets in specific parks (pets are prohibited seasonally at some parks and year-round at four state parks) and a list of parks and spots in the parks where pets are permitted. At all parks, animals must be leashed, owners must clean up any animal waste and animals can not be left unattened, the website said. Pets are prohibited at beaches and designated swim areas and picnic areas, pavilions and group use areas from May 1 to Sept. 30, the website said.
• Pawtuckaway State Park 128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, 895-3031. This park is always open for recreation unless closed or restricted by posting, according to their website.Dogs are prohibited at beaches, swim and picnic areas and the campground from May 1 to Sept. 30. Dogs are permitted on hiking trails through Reservation Road and Round Pond Road only, the website said.
• Bear Brook State Park 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9869. A majority of Bear Brook’s trails are impassable by bicycle or horse due to downed trees but cleanup is underway, according to their website. The fee for ages 12 to 17 is $2, according to their website.
• Wellington State Park 614 W. Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197. When the park is unstaffed during the season, deposit payment in Iron Ranger (self-serve pay station), according to their website.
• Clough State Park 455 Clough Park Road, Weare, 529-7112. This park is always open for recreation unless closed or restricted by posting, according to their website.
Kibble and Cracker Jack
Taking your dog out to the ballgame
By John Fladd jfladd@hippopress.com
If you were a dog, what would a great night out look like for you? Maybe watching a bunch of humans running around chasing a ball?
The Fisher Cats have that covered.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester) have expanded one of their most popular programs from last season, Waggin’ Wednesdays. Fans can bring their dogs to any home games that are played on Wednesday nights. Last year the club held three dog-friendly games during the season; this year it has opened the promotion up for the entire season.
Courtesy photo.
“We have a doggy ticket on our website that people can purchase,” front-office representative Andrew Marais said. “They just fill out a simple waiver saying, ‘I know I’m responsible for my dog.’ Marais said the dog-friendly games have been “1,000 percent successful.”
Marais said the Fisher Cats are following a growing trend in baseball.
“This has been done throughout not only minor league baseball but major league baseball too,” he said. “We definitely wanted to incorporate more of those too.” With the recent hot weather, fewer dogs have been showing up to Wednesday night games. “But we still see dogs,” Marais said. “But definitely in the early months, [and] in the latter months of the calendar season that we play, we see a good amount. I remember about a month ago, it seemed like we had like over 70 dogs.”
In addition to their tickets, dogs can expect other swag and amenities.
“We give a nice little treat bag,” Marais said, “…and obviously some relief bags too. We put some doggy bowls out across the concourse, [and] keep them filled. We sell pup cups in the ballpark too; just like the humans like a little ice cream, our dogs do, too. We always try to put those little nuances in there to make people and dogs feel great when they come to the ballpark.”
Waggin’ Wednesdays Dog tickets to Fisher Cats home games start at $10 and can be purchased on the Fisher Cats’ website. Waivers can be signed at the ballpark on the night of a game. The next Waggin’ Wednesday will be Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 6:35 p.m., when the Fisher Cats will play the Hartford Yard Goats.
Dining with doggos
The rules of taking your dog out to eat
By John Fladd jfladd@hippopress.com
Can you take your dog to a restaurant?
According to New Hampshire Health Statute Title XLV: Animals, Chapter 466: Dogs and Cats, “No person shall bring any animal into any restaurant or any store that sells food; and no person shall allow any animal to enter in any store that sells food, except for service animals…. A restaurant owner may allow dogs in any outdoor dining area at his or her place of business.”
The statute goes on at some length defining terms like “service dog” and “patio,” but most of it discusses the legal dog requirements on the part of a restaurant. For a customer with a dog, it breaks down to this: You and your dog are allowed to dine at any restaurant with outside tables, provided the restaurant agrees, and you, your dog and the servers all behave yourselves.(For more information about service dogs and restaurants, consult the Governor’s Commission on Disability, 271-2773, disability.nh.gov, disability@gcd.nhy.gov.)
The Rockingham Brewing Co. in Derry is about as dog-friendly as it can legally be. Ali Lelleszi is the owner.
“We often partner with Darbster Doggy,” she said, “for monthly dog adoption events where the dogs are outside on the patio. They usually bring four to six dogs that are all available for adoption. And we’ve had great success finding them homes with events like that.”
Lelleszi likes the idea of relaxing outside a restaurant with a dog but knows her dog Rennie well enough that she wouldn’t bring him to a restaurant patio.
Gus the Pug at Rockingham Brewery. Courtesy photo.
“I’m definitely pro-dog at a brewery,” she said. “Outside, you know, well-behaved, on a leash. I think those are two very, very important things. Not every dog can handle it. It’s unfortunate, but we would never put our dog in a situation where you set him up for failure. You have to know your dog’s limitations, and lots of dogs can be very, very well-behaved and respectful of other parties and other animals and children. And other dogs, you know, just don’t have those boundaries. So you just have to know your own dog’s strengths and play toward those. They can never ever be off leash; that’s probably a recipe for disaster.”
Ice cream stands that sell ice cream to customers through a window, generally to be eaten at outside tables or in customers’ cars, also generally welcome dogs. Many soft-serve places even sell a dog-sized mini-portion called a “pup cup.” (See the July 4 issue of the Hippo for a list of soft-serve spots.)
King Kone in Merrimack has a reputation for serving enormous portions of soft-serve ice cream. There are Small, Medium, and Large sizes there — a Large cone is topped with over a foot of ice cream — but there are smaller portions, too. At the bottom end there is a Baby size, followed by a Pup Cup.
Mikayla Plante is a shift leader at King Kone.
“The Pup Cup,” she said, “is usually vanilla ice cream with a dog bone, but you can also substitute the vanilla ice cream for whipped cream. It’s about the size of half a Baby [a Baby-sized portion — not half the size of an actual baby] so most people do order it for their dogs, but occasionally we will have someone order it for themselves and just remove the dog bone from it.” Because the weather has been so hot recently, she said, fewer customers have been bringing their dogs out for ice cream, but in an average week King Kone probably sells 30 Pup Cups.
“Usually people with smaller dogs request less ice cream,” she said, “because we do overfill them a little bit because we just love dogs so much. And all of our servings are kind of crazy.”
Leashes If the adventure takes place outside of a dog park, a leash and collar will most likely be necessary. Not all leashes are made the same.
“I’m sure every leash company thinks their leash can do everything, but unfortunately that’s not the case. It really depends on the level of experience your dog has walking,” said Samantha McKeon. And the needs of the dog may change over time.
“When I first started walk training with Fable we had a gentle lead. She doesn’t use that anymore because she’s much better with just your standard collar,” she said. “A gentle lead is basically a collar that goes over their snout. So if they pull it pushes their head down so if they’re pulling their head actually goes down so they learn not to pull. Gentle leads are really good for when you’re first starting to train your dog.”
Dog size is a factor in leash and collar selection. For Zoey, the Yorkiepoo, “I would never use just a standard collar with her. I only use a harness with her because she’s so tiny…. Well, the harness, it’s more evenly proportioned on her body. It’s more comfortable for her when she walks. It’s more secure,” McKeon said.
For her larger dog, it’s a different story: “With Fable I tend not to use harnesses because they’re really heavy, they’re really clunky and Fable backs out and she can come out of harnesses. As you’re walking your dog, their leash and collar leads may change. You have to see what are things they are doing well, what are things they can improve on, are they ready to take off the training wheels and go to a regular collar or do they still need that gentle lead?”
Manchester City Library (405 Pine St, Manchester, 624-6550, manchester.lib.nh.us) invites you to join in a walking tour, “Walking Through Manchester’s Black History,” presented by local historian Stan Garrity this morning at 10 a.m. The walk will begin in the Main Library’s rotunda and will follow Stan’s guided tour before returning to the Library. Register on the library’s website, under “Upcoming Events.”
Saturday, July 27
Join NH Audubon (McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org) for the second annual Capital Area NH Butterfly Survey from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No matter what your skill level, you are welcome to join in this survey. Help track New Hampshire’s butterflies and make a difference in their conservation. Email Diane De Luca (ddeluca@nhaudubon.org) to RSVP.
Saturday, July 27
The Third Annual Friends-a-Palooza will take place in Keach Park (2 Newton Ave., Concord) from 1 to 4 p.m. today, to celebrate the Friends Program, International Friendship Day and families in the greater Concord area. Friends-a-Palooza is a family-friendly party in the park with games, music, crafts, snacks, trucks, stories and dance. This event is free; donations will be accepted to benefit the Friends Program (friendsprogram.org) services for at-risk youth and families.
Saturday, July 27
Lift heavy weights at Grand Smashing party to celebrate the opening of the new physical location of Pawsitive Barbell Club (3 Robinson Road, Bow, 856-5422, intuitivewellnesscenterllc.com/pawsitive-barbell-club) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20.
Saturday, July 27
The Capital City Pride picnic will be in Eagle Square in Concord today from noon to 4 p.m. There will be vendors, refreshments, performance art, games, live music and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring everything they would need for a picnic, such as folding chairs, a picnic blanket, snacks, water, sun protection, bags for garbage collection, and rain gear (just in case).
Saturday, July 27
Head to The Knights Hall (55 Lake St., Suite 4, Nashua, 484-1036, theknightshall.com) for Fire of Battle: Summer Melees. This in-person event will bring together warriors from far and wide to showcase their skills in medieval combat. Tickets are $20 and available through the Knights Hall website.
Sunday, July 28
The Alex Minasian Jazz Trio will perform at the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline, 673-7441, andresinstitute.org) tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25.
Sunday, July 28
Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St., Wilton, 654-3456, facebook.com/wiltontownhalltheatre) presents 1926 Harry Langdon comedy Tramp, Tramp, Tramp today at 2 p.m. Admission to this silent film with musical accompaniment is free; donations of $10 per person are encouraged.
Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 8 Cirque du Soleil is returning to Manchester with its high-energy and high-acrobatic production Ovo, at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com). An exciting Cirque du Soleil experience, Ovo is a colorful look at the daily life of insects. Performances will be Thursday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 10, at 3 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 11, at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $45.
State officials added to the list of places people might have been exposed to the measles. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced in a July 18 press release that “an out-of-state resident visited New Hampshire while they were infectious with measles. The out-of-state resident was exposed to an international traveler with measles who was previously identified in late June.” The press release went on to say that measles might have been transmitted to any unvaccinated people or people not previously infected. The exposed individual visited restaurants in Alton and Concord on July 5, and Merrimack on July 6. “
QOL score: -2
Comment:“Please visit the DHHS website for updated infection counts and New Hampshire exposure locations associated with this outbreak,” the release said.
Lottery repeat
The same set of numbers came up twice in the State Lottery’s Pick 3 and Pick 4 games Saturday evening, July 20. As reported in a July 20 online article by WMUR, there was a mistake in the numbers entered into the Lottery’s system. “According to the lottery,” the story reported, “a vendor entered the winning numbers for Saturday’s midday Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings as the winning numbers for the evening drawings as well.” The Lottery stated that “it noticed the mistake right away and alerted its vendor to make a correction.”
QOL score: +1
Comment: On its website, the Lottery commission announced that it would honor both sets of numbers for the Saturday evening drawing, but: “This is ONLY for the evening draw on Saturday, 7/20/2024.”
Derry PD is getting a puppy!
The Derry Police Department announced on its Facebook page last Thursday, July 18, that it is in the final stages of choosing a comfort dog to join the department. “Comfort dogs can be used for calm and comfort in all sorts of different situations,” the Department posted, “like mental illness circumstances, domestic violence cases, victim/witness support, courtroom testimony, officer wellness, and helping out in our numerous schools in town.”
QOL score: +1
Comment:The Department has been working with an organization called Hero Pups to select a puppy with the right temperament to grow into the job.
Mosquitoes in Manchester
The Manchester Health Department announced Wednesday, July 17, that one batch of mosquitoes collected in Manchester on July 10 had tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, the Health Department said. “Symptoms usually appear within a week after being bitten. Symptoms can include flu-like illness including fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. … A very small percentage of individuals infected with WNV can go on to develop more serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis.”
QOL score: -1
Comment: The Manchester Health Department recommends eliminating pools of standing water, where mosquitoes lay their eggs, and wearing mosquito repellant with at least 30 percent DEET.
Last week’s QOL score: 74
Net change: -1
QOL this week: 73
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
The Big Story – Patriots Open Pre-season Camp: As camp opened this week, the optimistic among us are excited over having a new coach for the first time since 2000 in Jerod Mayo and getting to watch another new QB in third overall pick Drake Maye develop.However, sober minds know this will be another long year in Foxboro as the first-time coach and the rookie QB have steep learning curves in front of them. But ready or not, it got started when veterans reported on Tuesday and the first practice was held Wednesday.
Sports 101: Name the seven people to be Manager of the Year in both the AL and NL.
News Item – Schauffele Wins British Open: The lucky number in 2024 for XanderSchauffele is 65. That’s what he shot to rip the Claret Jug away from a crowded Sunday leaderboard to win the British Open at Royal Troon by two strokes. It made him a double majors winner, as he won the PGA Championship in May after carding a final round 65 as well.
News Item – Jarren Duran: Amid his record-breaking season, the speedy Red Sox outfielder added another notch to the belt last week when he earned the TedWilliams Trophy as All-Star Game MVP after his two-run homer in the fifth inning was the decisive blow in the AL’s 5-3 win.
News Item – It Ain’t Just Sale: You can’t blame the Red Sox for moving on from ChrisSale last winter after getting almost no production for the $120 million they spent on him the last four years. Still, with him leading baseball in wins with 13, there’s a little “what might have been” feeling for this surprising team. And that was made worse by seeing JamesPaxton move to 8-2 after completing L.A.’s three-game sweep of the Sox with Sunday’s 9-6. All of which means a team using openers for the fifth spot in the rotation let two guys leave who already have a combined 21 wins in 2024.
The Numbers:
0 – shots made in 15 attempts for the Wizards’ AlexSarr while putting up a donut in a Vegas summer league vs. Portland. Not the kind of game you want to see from a guy who was just picked second overall in the NBA draft.
17 – games in 2024 Vegas odds-makers have the Patriots listed as underdogs on their early tote boards. Which, for the mathematically challenged, means they’ll be that for every game they play this year.
19 – WNBA record-breaking assists handed out by Indiana Fever pg CaitlinClark in a 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings.
… Of the Week Awards
Thumbs Down – All-Star Uniforms: Can we for once forgo trying to bleed every last nickel out of merchandising in lieu of rewarding the loyalty of fans who’ve been watching for 50 years and love seeing guys in their everyday uniforms at the ASG, ’cause that is classic.
Ridiculous Headline of the Week – Boston Globe: It read “Celtics Hold BronnyJames To 2 Points” in their summer league game vs. L.A. Ridiculous because it makes it sound like it was a great feat, which it was not. It was actually more than his summer league average. Second, why is a second-round draft pick who averaged four points per game anywhere near the lead of any story?
A Little History – The Ted Williams Trophy: If you’re wondering: The MVP Award for the AL in the ASG is named for TedWilliams because with four homers, 12 RBI and a .304 average he was a prolific ASG hitter, including winning the 1941 game 7-5 with a three-run bottom-of-the-ninth walk-off homer off ClaudePasseau.
Random Thoughts:
I didn’t think it was possible, but I hate the Dodgers’ city edition uniforms more than the Sox’ blue and yellow numbers.
Anyone know why TigerWoods is still a big headline going to a major championship? Especially after 2024 where he finished dead last at the Masters and missed the cut in the PGA, U.S. Open and British Open.
Sports 101 Answer: The seven named Manager of the Year in both leagues are Bobby Cox (Braves and Blue Jays), TonyLaRussa (Cards and A’s), Jim Leland (Pirates and Tigers), LouPiniella (Cubs and Mariners), JoeMaddon (Cubs and D-Rays), BuckShowalter (Mets, Rangers and Orioles) and DaveyJohnson (Nationals and Orioles)
Final Thought – A Little More History – The All-Star Game: The ASG has had three distinct eras since it started in 1933.
The AL dominated early, winning 12 of the first 16. Then thanks to embracing integration far more fully than the AL, starting in 1950 the NL won 30 of 39 behind great Black stars like Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Banks and the Robinsons (Jackie and Frank). That included winning 19 in 20 years from 1963 to 1982.
Now after winning 10times in 11 years, and 27 of the last 39, the AL is back on top. Overall the AL leads 47-44 with two ties.
Kathleen Palmer, Communications & Events Specialist for the Office of the Mayor in Nashua, spoke about the Summer Stroll in Nashua scheduled for Saturday, July 27, from 3 to 8 p.m. The event is presented in partnership with Positive Street Art and funded by local sponsors. A two-block section of Main Street will be closed off from 2 to 9 p.m. Check out Nashua Summer Stroll on Facebook.
How did the Summer Stroll get started?
Great American Downtown has manned, if you will, a winter holiday stroll for over 20 years now. One of the kind of half-jokes that people make after the event is ‘boy, I wish we had a summer one,’ because it would be, you know, better weather. The City of Nashua has a new director of economic development. Her name is Liz Hannum and she proposed last summer, ‘Well, why don’t we look into creating a city-run summer stroll component?’ A similar but different event. That’s what we are doing … to see if people are interested in coming down and walking around and checking out the offerings that we have this first year… This is a brand new event and we could not do it without the sponsorship money we received, because people do worry if this is going to be taxpayer money and it’s important for everybody to know we sought out sponsors.
How has the partnership with Positive Street Art affected the event?
The city partnered with Positive Street Art, which is a decade-long nonprofit here based in Nashua who does public art as well as classes and all sorts of art-related programming. About more than a decade ago they used to have an art festival on Water Street at Renaissance Park. However, this summer Renaissance Park is getting a beautiful and exciting overhaul in the riverfront project that Mayor Donchess has initiated, so the park is unavailable to lots of programming that used to happen there. So Positive Street Art asked if they could partner with us and make the Nashua Summer Stroll an event that’s focused on artists and local creators of different kinds.
What kinds of vendors will be at the Summer Stroll?
The majority of the vendors that will be having tents on Main Street will be artists, photographers, jewelry makers, crafters as well as home decor. I believe there’s a home baker that will be there.
What types of activities can participants expect to find?
Positive Street Art will have a lot of things going on. They will have live art battles where they have artists set up easels and they give them 90 minutes to create something and it’s really, actually very exciting to watch. They have a car that was donated by Best Ford of Nashua and painted for free by Precision Collision with this chalk paint so kids can draw on the car and kind of make it into a little standing art exhibit if you will. Positive Street Art is also doing a mural project that everyone can participate in. I believe it’s going to be cut-outs of hands and you can decorate them and then PSA will assemble them…. They’re going to have a paint splatter tent, which, I’m not exactly sure what that is but it’s a self-enclosed paint fun event for kids to do. There’s a whole bunch of art stuff…. We’re going to have a whole kids zone, which we’re spelling ‘kidzone’ all shoved together. We’re going to have a mobile gaming van. … It’s basically a giant van that has TV screens in it and kids can go in and play 20 minutes a game if they want to get out of the sun. There’s going to be other games, basketball, games of skill where they can get little prizes. There’s going to be several food trucks.
What type of live entertainment?
For entertainment, the City Main Stage is getting dropped right in the street at the intersection of the Pearls … and that’s going to have three live bands throughout the day. The first one is Latin Logic Salsa Band. Before and during their performance we have hired Theo Martinez from HTM Dance to teach people free little dance moves so they can have fun watching the band and they can do a little dancing in the street. The other two bands are classic rock bands with huge local followings…. Aces and Eights is the name of the band and they’ve been around for decades. The other band is called 4 R Souls. After the live music is done at 8, PSA has rented out the upstairs and the downstairs of Martha’s to have a DJ dance party, so the music is going to go on inside after that. So there’s stuff for pretty much every age group at the event and we’re hoping people will at least stop by and check everything out.
Where is the Nashua Summer Stroll?
The footprint of the event is from East and West Pearl to the intersection of Factory and Temple, so two blocks of Main Street and the two blocks of Main Street includes High Street, which is the street that Scontsas Jewelry is on, the corner of on Main Street, and that piece of High Street is going to be the kidzone.
—Zachary Lewis
Nashua Summer Stroll When: Saturday, July 27, from 3 to 8 p.m. Where: Nashua’s Main Street between East and West Pearl and Factory and Temple. Road will be closed from 2 to 9 p.m. Admission: free What About Your Friends – Throwback Party Presented by Positive Street Art and One 603 Entertainment on Saturday, July 27, 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at 185 Main St., Nashua; $25 with other ticket packages available; shorturl.at/R66gV.
