The first Peggy Senter Scholarship at the Concord Community Music School is going to seventh-grade singer Raegan Wolfe, who has been a part of choirs at the music school for seven years and is going to be a member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference Choir.
When Peggy Senter, the founder of the Concord Community Music School, retired in the summer of 2021, the Concord Chorale wanted to do something to honor her legacy, said Chorale president Elibet Chase. The group landed on the idea of a scholarship to the Concord Community Music School.
“It’s great to support an upcoming singer who is taking lessons at the school and to grow the young singing population,” Chase said. “We really want to find ways to make younger singers aware and consider choral music.”
Chase said that it was important to the chorale to show support to the school because of how the music school had helped the chorale over the years. In addition to holding practices and shows for the chorale, the school lent the chorale equipment to rehearse with while the pandemic was raging.
Chase added that Senter always came to the chorale’s performances and took a special interest in all music being performed in the area.
“Peggy Senter came to all of our concerts, never missed one,” said Chase, adding that the community music school has always been there for the chorale. “It’s really just a great relationship of support.”
Kathy Lundahl, the dean of students and educators at the music school, said the arts community in Concord is very close knit. Since Concord Community Music School was started, Lundahl said, its mission has been to provide musical education to people of all abilities and from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
When Lundahl heard that the chorale wanted to offer a scholarship to vocalists, she was extremely excited.
“I think it’s really heartwarming,” Lundahl said. “The school has had a lot to do with quietly building an important musical community in Concord. This [scholarship] is a perfect example of keeping that going and moving forward.”
The major requirement for the scholarship from the chorale was that it goes to a vocal student who seemed likely to continue learning and performing at the school. Chase said that beyond that, the chorale wanted the school to choose the students.
Lundahl said that the school looked at need as well as students who were excelling in the vocal field. A team of teachers and accompanists was brought together to discuss who would be the best applicant.
Chase said that the group made the right choice in Raegan based on her love of music and also her dedication to performing, as well as her patience with younger singers.
“She’s just a really cool student,” Chase said. “Not only is she really enthusiastic about her own singing and what it means in her life … she’s also always been nurturing of younger kids. One instructor gave an example of how she worked and performed with a student to keep her from being nervous.”
Raegan said that she doesn’t believe that she wants to be a professional musician when she grows up, but instead thinks she might want to study music in college to become a choir teacher. She added that some of the most important people in her life have been her choir and voice teachers.
“I think it would be fun to sing and teach,” Raegan said. “I just really like being around younger kids…. It’s so interesting to hear how voices change and how they have so much fun and energy.”
Raegan is extremely thankful to be the first recipient chosen for this scholarship. She said she wanted to “thank everyone at the school and everyone who has helped me … encouraged me and given me confidence.”
Featured photo: Raegan Wolfe. Photo courtesy of Elibet Chase.
Margaret Kasper of Milford was upcycling clothes before that was even a common term.
“My grandmother was a quilter, and I used to watch her save every scrap of fabric that she would use to make her quilts and then reuse it in new quilts. And I think that kind of stuck with me,” said Kasper, who has owned Mountain Girl Clothing since 2008. “I started to do the same thing when I got into sewing. I would save all the discarded pieces of fabric and use them on a new piece further down the line. … I think ‘upcycling’ is a pretty new term, and now it’s pretty trendy, but I think people have been doing it forever and probably not even realizing they’re doing it.”
A Milford native, Kasper studied fashion and textile design at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Launching Mountain Girl Clothing with her grandmother’s hand-me-down sewing machine, she began exploring the world of gently used and discarded textiles. Today, she operates in her own studio space in downtown Milford with the help of two assistants.
Margaret Kasper of Mountain Girl Clothing, based in Milford. Courtesy photo.
“There are literally tons and tons of post-consumer waste textiles and discarded clothing that you can find at thrift stores and secondhand stores and things like that,” Kasper said, “and so that’s what I really started to dive into, was looking at what I could use around me that’s not going to cost an arm and a leg. Then I would start to take it apart, transform it and make new pieces of clothing. … People just responded to it really well. Going into thrift stores is kind of like Christmas for me, because you never know what you’re going to find.”
Kasper admitted that when she’s on the hunt for “new” pieces of old clothing she can use at thrift stores, she doesn’t always have the most immediate idea of what she is going to do with it.
“I’ll be attracted to the feel or the print of the fabric,” she said, adding that Mountain Girl Clothing primarily specializes in women’s shirts, jackets, sweaters, hoodies and similar articles.
In addition to shopping at secondhand and thrift stores, Kasper has worked with a family in India for the past few years, whom she became connected with through the e-commerce website Etsy.
“They’ve been sending me their discarded textiles from India, and so I’ve been able to kind of expand what I use for materials and bring that over here to use in my pieces,” she said.
With the help of her two studio assistants, Kasper can produce about 40 to 50 new pieces every week — on average, she said, that’s anywhere from a half hour to up to two hours per piece. Once it’s ready to go, she’ll often have a model come in and wear it, or she’ll model it herself, and they’ll take pictures and create a listing for the item on the website. On Thursdays, Kasper also usually presents a shop launch on social media for her regular customers.
New to the world of upcycling, Sofia Farah launched The Tenth String Co. roughly eight months ago in her basement studio in Nashua. In fact, Farah actually just learned how to use a sewing machine in 2020, when she made masks during the early months of the pandemic.
Farah’s first upcycled project was a denim jacket, but it was one she had made just for herself.
“I posted it on my Instagram after it was done, then I went about my day and I get back on Instagram and get a ton of [messages], which doesn’t ever happen,” she said. “People were obsessed with the denim jacket and they all wanted to buy it. So then I was like, ‘What if I start doing this,’ and so I went to the thrift store that week and just found a bunch of random things.”
Upcycling started as a part-time hustle for Farah, until eventually she quit her job to wholly focus on keeping up with her orders. She is also now one of about 30 vendors that are participating in the inaugural Holiday Shoppes at Tuscan Village in Salem — find her there every Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 31, and daily during the week of Christmas.
Sofia Farah of The Tenth String Co., based in Nashua. Courtesy photo.
“One of my more popular items is the shirt and flannel combo,” Farah said. “Basically I take the torso of a shirt that might have some graphics on it, and I sew flannel arms to it, and it kind of makes this super-relaxed boxy-type fit article of clothing. … It’s the comfiest thing ever. You don’t have to button up the flannel, which is awesome. You just throw it on.”
Like Kasper, Farah finds herself often going to thrift and secondhand stores, as well as a lot of estate sales. She has even developed relationships with some local vintage clothing dealers.
In Salem, Ianna True owns and operates Fits the Vibe, a modern secondhand store that also carries some vintage and upcycled items. The business originally opened in Windham in October 2020 before moving to a larger space in Salem the following year.
True, who taught herself how to sew, also likes to create articles of clothing from graphic T-shirts and flannel sleeves, and she’ll sometimes dabble in upcycling sweatpants and sweatshirts.
Even some items like bed sheets and shower curtains can be upcycled into clothing. Meredith artist Cassandra “Sanni” Reale of Monarch Press Collections has filled such orders since founding her business in early 2021. She also likes to implement block printing into her work.
“That’s what makes me stand out a little bit more than just doing certain sewing alterations, is I’ll add that printing aspect in there, and a lot of it is some of my own designs,” Reale said. “Some of the bigger projects that I’ve done have been … flipping quilts into jackets, and also printing designs on the backs of jackets, or on pants or whatever.”
Kasper believes her customers are drawn to her pieces for several reasons. There’s the environmental benefit of reducing the amount of wasteful materials, for instance, in addition to the excitement among her buyers for being able to wear something wholly different and unique.
“I’ve always loved that you can find a T-shirt at a thrift shop and it’s sad and it doesn’t have a home, and then you add something to it or cut it a certain way and it looks like a completely new piece of clothing. And you didn’t have to go to a big department store to find it,” she said. “Another cool thing about the upcycling process is that it makes these pieces of clothing truly one of a kind. It’s something you can’t find anywhere else and can’t really be replicated.”
Where to find locally upcycled clothing
Here are a few local companies that work to breathe new life into yesterday’s clothes.
Fits the Vibe 287 Lawrence Road, Salem, 818-0598, fitsthevibe.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @fitsthevibe A modern secondhand store that also carries vintage and upcycled items, Fits the Vibe originally opened in Windham in October 2020 before moving to a larger space in Salem the following September. Owner Ianna True works with dozens of small businesses to source their products in the store, which include everything from jewelry to upcycled clothes.
Monarch Press Collections Meredith, monarchpresscollections.com, and on Facebook @monarch.press and Instagram @monarchpresscollections Specializing in upcycled clothing, eco-friendly stamp making, block printing and more, all with a focus on sustainability, Monarch Press Collections was launched by Meredith artist and University of New Hampshire grad Cassandra “Sanni” Reale in early 2021. Her work is available for sale online, and she’ll also be selling her work at Wayfarer Marketplace (626 Main St., Laconia) on Friday, Dec. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Mountain Girl Clothing Milford, mountaingirlclothing.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @mountaingirlclothing Milford native Margaret Kasper has owned and operated Mountain Girl Clothing since 2008, specializing primarily in women’s shirts, jackets, sweaters, hoodies and similar articles. While her downtown Milford studio space isn’t open to the public, Kasper usually presents a weekly shop launch on social media for her regular customers, and she ships her products worldwide.
The Tenth String Co. Nashua, thetenthstringco.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @thetenthstringco New to the world of upcycling, Sofia Farah of The Tenth String Co. works out of her basement studio in Nashua. Find her at the inaugural Holiday Shoppes at Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) every Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 31 (except Sunday, Dec. 25) — hours are Thursday and Friday, 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. From Sunday, Dec. 18, through Friday, Dec. 23, the Holiday Shoppes will also be open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and they’ll be open Saturday, Dec. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Shopping secondhand can be a budget-friendly way to grow your wardrobe, but saving money isn’t the only good reason to stop in a local consignment boutique.
“To me, the thrill of the hunt itself is just as exciting as the bargain or the item,” said Elyssa Alfieri, owner of Lilise Designer Resale in Concord. “You’re gaining access to a unique selection of items … with the opportunity to shop many stores, regions, time periods and aesthetics, all in one place, and there is so much room for experimentation to find your truest self.”
At LDR, you’ll find women’s and men’s secondhand clothing, shoes, accessories and jewelry, including items from everyday brands like Madewell as well as high-end brands like Chanel, Gucci and Burberry.
Chic Boutique Consignments. Courtesy photo.
“We work hard at curating our selection … and assess each and every item for condition, age, style, fabrication, authenticity and value,” Alfieri said. “We focus on … items from the highest-end brands possible, but we also can’t ignore the ‘it factor’ — when an item is good, it’s good.”
For customers, she said, that carefully curated selection provides a shopping experience that is “all needles, no haystack.”
“We cater to those who feel underserved by what traditional retail models offer,” Alfieri said. “We are for the people who can’t find trends early enough, for people who don’t have time to scour the thrift store racks. … You won’t have to search long to find things you’ll get excited about.”
Chic Boutique Consignments in Bedford also carries secondhand clothing, shoes and accessories for women, plus a small selection for men and children, in high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, Patagonia and Prada.
“Each consignment store has their own niche with matching clientele and best-selling brands. … We know what our clientele is looking to purchase for their own closets,” owner Ashley Lyons said. “This is always ever-changing, so keeping up with the most current trends and hot brands is something we take great pride in.”
Consignment stores often carry unique and hard-to-find items “that aren’t going to be found walking around a mall,” Lyons said, such as luxury handbags that are out of stock or discontinued from the designer.
You may also find items manufactured years ago in older styles that are making a comeback.
“Many trends right now are vintage-inspired,” Alfieri said, “so finding the original is a great alternative to spending a lot on designer pieces that sometimes don’t live up to the real thing anyway.”
What sets consignment boutiques apart from “thrift stores,” Lyons said, is the quality of the items.
“Many people come in confusing a consignment store for a thrift store, but rest assured we are much different,” she said. “Our inventory is in pristine condition. … Most first-time customers are astonished to hear our items have been previously loved.”
Secondhand shopping tips • Know what you’re looking for. “I tell customers to keep a note in their phone with a list of items they’re looking for so they have something to reference when they’re getting caught up in the moment,” Alfieri said. • Inspect for quality. “Make sure everything works,” Alfieri said. “Check the fabric, zippers, buttons. If you’re thrifting a pair of shoes that look like they were never used, bend the soles to make sure they haven’t dried out.” • Consider the care required. “Will you need to take special care when washing, wearing or storing this item? Sometimes it’s totally worth it to have an item like that, but only if you know you’ll get what you want out of owning it,” Alfieri said. • Beware of fakes. “When buying a designer handbag, or any piece for that matter, make sure it is from a trusted reseller that only sells authentic pieces,” Lyons said. “We have seen such an influx of fraudulent designer items, so be sure to only buy from a trusted source.” • Try things on. “Be adventurous and use the opportunity of shopping in person to try on many different styles,” Alfieri said. “It’ll be fun, and you might discover a new version of yourself in the process.”
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but diamonds and a lot of other precious gems and fine jewelry can be extremely expensive. That’s why some stores across southern New Hampshire are reselling old jewelry or turning other objects into beautiful, affordable pieces.
At Atwood Jewelers in Salem, manager Eileen Gormley said more than 95 percent of the business is with estate jewelry, a fancy way of saying preowned jewelry. The shop will polish the jewelry, sometimes will rehouse and fix the bands, and in some cases will completely customize a new piece.
“Mostly, it’s sentimental for people. I would say our clients are mostly the older generation,” said Gormley. She added that the younger generation of clients is looking for a way to continue having sustainability, and that Atwood offers a lot of that.
A collection of vintage and re-set jewelry from Atwood Jewelers. Courtesy photo.
Another feature at Atwood is that people can often take family heirlooms and repurpose them. Some single earrings sold to the store will become pendants for necklaces or ‘show-stopping’ rings, Gormley said. Sometimes customers will request that the stones in the jewelry be taken out and repurposed into new designs.
“We fix people’s things up and bring them back to life,” Gormley said.
Gormley said that over the 24 years she’s been at Atwood, there have always been professional jewelers working in the store and designers, like her coworker Jio Winchell. Gormley estimated that a third of all the business done at Atwood is repurposing stones into custom jewelry.
Customizing jewelry isn’t only something for precious gemstones. Anything can be jewelry if there is enough time and creative energy put into it. Margi Lord, a contractor turned estate planner, sells costume jewelry at Antiques on Elm in Manchester.
“My jewelry making started years ago when I was working in a hardware store and I said, ‘I don’t have on any earrings,’” Lord said. She said she saw some lock washers and realized with some quick ingenuity she could make a pair of fun earrings.
Ever since then, she said, she’s seen the possibilities for different things to become fashion statements. She is most proud of a cufflink that she sanded the post down on to turn into a pendant.
Lord said that it’s important to her to make her jewelry reasonably priced. At her station at Antiques on Elm, she prices all her jewelry, even a statement piece made from an elephant belt-buckle and Ralph Lauren scarf, at $10 or less.
Lord said she likes to see young people who want to remake the jewelry into something else, or little girls who buy the jewelry she sells so they can play dress-up.
“To me, [sustainability] is really important,” Lord said. “There’s so many things that can be recycled and reused.”
Jennifer Stewart, owner of Firefly Wood Designs in Gilford, makes necklaces out of old skateboard decks. Courtesy photo.
“The colorful plywood decks are just asking to be upcycled!” Stewart said via email. “I also like finding interesting patterns in the scuffed up graphics of the boards too — they’ve made some of my favorite pendants.”
Kim Stewart, who does jewelry design for Firefly Wood Designs, an Etsy store based in Gilford that she and her sister Jennifer run, takes sustainability a step further by turning old skateboards into jewelry.
She makes pendant necklaces and earrings from colorful skateboard decks, an idea that she got from the love she and her husband had for skateboarding while they were in college. Stewart said it’s important for her to do something sustainable and while she knows this isn’t a huge thing, every little bit helps.
“It’s not much, but I know even small changes like upcycling things here and there can really make a big impact on the health of the environment,” Stewart said.
Featured photo: Margaret Kasper of Mountain Girl Clothing, based in Milford. Courtesy photo.
The American Independence Museum will host a Holiday Tavern Open House at Folsom Tavern (164 Water St. in Exeter; independencemuseum.org) today from 4 to 8 p.m. The event is free and will feature light refreshments, make-and-take crafts and a silent auction, according to a press release.
Friday, Dec. 2
Head to downtown Concord to shop and celebrate the season today at Midnight Merriment from 5 p.m. to midnight. Find Santa at City Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m. (that’s also the site of Nazzy’s Holiday Dance Party); starting at 5 p.m. at Eagle Square you’ll find free hot cocoa while supplies last, and at 7 Eagle Square the Concord Arts Market will hold Giftopolis, according to the schedule at intownconcord.org. The event includes live music, a gingerbread house showdown and of course shopping at downtown shops that extend their hours for the night.
Friday, Dec. 2
Gerald Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, brings his one-man performance of A Christmas Carol to the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) on Friday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. See anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities. Dickens will also do two shows in Nashua on Saturday, Dec. 3. The first, Mr. Dickens is Coming, will be at the Nashua Senior Center (70 Temple St.) at 12:30 p.m. The second, A Christmas Carol, will be at Nashua Community College (505 Amherst St.) at 7:30 p.m. Visit fortingage.com/dickens2022 for ticket information.
Friday, Dec. 2
Deo Mwano Consultancy will present “ Improvisation: Trust the Process,” an original show with dancers and musicians improvising together that fuses soul, funk, 80s hip-hop and Afro-beat music samples with live instrumentation, today at 7 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins (266 N Main St. in Concord), according to a press release. There will be a post-performance Q&A and Middle Eastern foods, the release said. Tickets cost $40 and are available at eventbrite.com/e/improvisation-trust-the-process-tickets-463648554307 or at the door.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Warner celebrates today during Warner Hometown Holidays. See the Festival of Trees in the town hall (where Santa and Mrs. Claus will appear for photos at 1:30 p.m.), live performances and music, a Polar Express-themed day at the NH Telephone museum, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and more. See mainstreetbookends.com/event/warner-hometown-holidays for a full schedule of events.
Saturday, Dec. 3
The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) will hold Caroling at the Currier today at noon with the Manchester Choral Society performing in the Historic Court, able to be heard throughout the museum, according to the website. Hours on Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for ages 13 to 17 and free for 12 and under.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Manchester’s Holiday Parade will head down Elm Street (from the Amoskeag Bridge to Granite Street) starting at 4 p.m. Kick off the festivities at 3 p.m. by watching runners in Santa costumes tackle the 3-mile BASC Santa Claus Shuffle, which features stops to snack on Santa’s favorite food groups (see millenniumrunning.com if you’re interested in hitting the road yourself). See the story about the parade on page 19 in last week’s (Nov. 24) issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com). On page 18 in that issue, you’ll find a listing of other towns’ tree-lightings, parades and other holiday celebrations.
Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 31 Send off 2022 with a performance by the Adam Ezra Group on New Year’s Eve at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; 437-2100, tupelomusichall.com). Come for a multi-course dinner at 5:30 p.m. (ticket to the dinner includes the show) or buy a ticket for the show only at 9 p.m.
Featured photo. Manchester Holiday Parade. Courtesy photo.
The New Hampshire Federal Credit Union’s Santa for Seniors holiday donation drive is now underway, according to a press release. Members of the public are invited to participate by donating a gift card in any denomination or by creating a homemade holiday card as a way to deliver hope and holiday cheer to seniors in the local community. Santa himself will deliver the cards to eight senior facilities in the state in mid-December.
QOL score: +1
Comment: Donations will be accepted at NHFCU’s Concord and Lee locations through Dec. 14.
Online scam
Fraudulent websites posing as legitimate New Hampshire small businesses are on the rise, warns Attorney General John M. Formella. According to a press release, the scammers have been advertising products for sale online at deeply discounted prices and requesting that consumers contact the company’s sales department to make a purchase. The “sales department” then insists that the consumer pay for the products using a bank wire transfer. Some scammers have even set up email addresses matching their fraudulent company’s name and website in order to “verify” the company through independent organizations used to establish marketplace trust, such as the Better Businesses Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and Show Me Local.
QOL score: -1
Comment: Attorney General Formella urges consumers to be vigilant by asking probing questions about deeply discounted products, insisting to speak to the seller over the phone, confirming the seller’s contact information, asking for and contacting references that can verify the legitimacy of the seller, and, finally, checking with local law enforcement or the Attorney General’s Office to see if any complaints have been filed against the seller.
Helping caregivers help kids
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover has curated a Play-Based Learning Kit — a 40-pound jumbo box filled with quality materials for children ages 5 and under — and is distributing the kits to 83 child care providers, libraries and family resource centers throughout the state serving more than 9,000 children, according to a press release. Each kit comes with monthly activity guides for educators on ways to use the materials to engage children. “When we saw the child care crisis growing, we began reaching out to childcare providers … about ways we could use our expertise to help,” Jane Bard, CMNH president, said in the release. “Once we realized the need was so great and so widespread around the state, the challenge was how to best serve all of these audiences. The solution was to give all of these audiences different tools and ways to participate in a variety of activities over the course of the year.”
QOL score: +1
Comment:Additionally, the museum has launched three new weekly play-based learning drop-in programs and is collaborating with the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies to host two free play-based learning open house events as well as four online workshops open to all early childhood educators.
QOL score: 86
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 87
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
With the Thanksgiving Day extravaganza in the books, the stretch run for the 2022 NFL season has begun. It offers all sorts of local and national story lines. Here’s a look.
The Playoff Picture: Almost every team is still in it somehow, though in some cases it has little to do with the accomplishments of teams in the race. Like Tampa Bay, where at 5-6 TomBrady is under .500 at the latest point ever in his career. Yet even in TB’s year from hell he finds himself in first place because the NFC South is so bad.
There must be something about the water in the South, as continuing the under .500 story, only Tennessee is above water in the AFC South. But they’re not alone in that way, as only 8-2 Minnesota is over .500, with a three-game lead over the pack in the NFC North.
Then there is the east, where the water must be better with every team in the NFC and AFC over .500 and threatening to make the wild card weekend an intra-division event.
The Patriots Thanksgiving Calamity: They gave themselves no help by coughing up a winnable game in Minnesota (with help from a pair of big mistakes/misses by the zebras). Thanksgiving was actually a double whammy, as Buffalo appeared to be headed to a loss before surviving vs. Detroit in the early game. If the verdicts were reversed, as they easily could have been, the teams would be tied at 7-4. Instead Buffalo has a two-game lead ahead of their meeting on Thursday night. Then came wins on Sunday by all their wild card contenders — Bengals, Jets, Chargers — to drop them from the 5-seed to on the outside looking in at eighth.
Odds and Ends
Biggest Surprise – Philadelphia: While most thought they would be good, few saw them being the last team to lose a game and having the best record as December arrived.
Most Disappointing Team: That would be the 4-7 Packers, though not to me. I seem to be the only one in the country to realize the Pack is always picked for high achievement in pre-season and by the time the post season ends they never achieve it.
Has The Game Passed Him By Award – Bill Belichick: It seems absurd to suggest this. But his utter failure or unwillingness to recognize the growing importance of home run-hitting, deep-threat receivers in today’s NFL makes you wonder. They may have been afterthoughts when he won two Super Bowls with the power running Giants back in the day and the first three with the Pats, but today they’re to the NFL what deep shooters are to the NBA, once low-priority players who became vital as their games evolved.
Look no further than MacJones if you want a vivid example of why. After Miami traded for the dynamic TyreekHill to pair him with the Alabama speed JaylenWaddle I said they needed to trade for a disgruntled home run threat like AJBrown or DKMetcalf because the D’s were about to become an offensive power with those guys, just as Buffalo did after getting StefonDiggs from Minnesota in 2021. Instead Philly paid the price in draft capital and salary needed to pair Brown with Waddle’s dynamic Alabama teammate DeVontaSmith.
The results are clear, as all three quarterbacks got immediately better with those dynamic receivers. JoshAllen was a given. But in one year the two QB’s who preceded Mac at Alabama have gone from a potential first-round bust (TuaTagovailoa) and stand-in-until-something-better-comes-along JalenHurts to the highest-rated QB in the NFL and leading MVP contender respectively.
And the point of this diatribe is that when Mac played with Waddle and Smith he threw 47 TD passes and three interceptions as Bama won the national title, whereas now with Waddle, Hill, Brown and Smith, those two once questionable guys have shot by him because he’s saddled with slow, unreliable receivers and they have dynamite wideouts.
Best Tight Ever: I know TonyGonzalez has the most career catches by a tight end, so maybe I’m a homer. But I have thought for several years RobGronkowski is the best TE ever. But the more I see TravisKelce the more I think it’s a legit debate over who’s better. Kelce is not the blocker Gronk was and with a higher yards per catch average (15-12) and a lot more TDs (92-63) the big fella was a bigger downfield threat. But Kelce has more catches and career receiving yards. And in having missed just two games in nine seasons he’s a lot more durable than Gronk, who missed 30 in 11 years. Either way, that Kelce dude is teally good.
What Goes Around Comes Around Award – Patriots: It’s true the refs blew it missing the hold on KyleDugger during that back-breaking Kene Nwangwu TD kick return on Thanksgiving vs. Minnesota. But it’s ironic it came less than a week after a clip was missed on the MarcusJones punt return that gave the Patriots a final-second win over the Jets. Didn’t hear many local complaints about that.
However, since the Patriots likely would’ve kicked a game-winning FG even with the penalty yards tacked on it wasn’t as damaging.
Super Bowl Hangover Award – L.A. Rams: Now 3-8 after Sunday’s loss to KC, few teams have had a worse season after a Super Bowl than the Rams have had this year. And they were stumbling before big injuries hit.
Team Killer Award – Carson Wentz: After going from Philly’s last MVP (2018) candidate, HH’s killed the Eagles, Colts and Commanders in consecutive years. Though Washington has gone 5-1 since he was benched in favor of TaylorHeinicke after a 1-4 start.
Finally, with Buffalo twice and Miami in the final six games the Pats had better play well, because their playoff hopes are in peril.
Families in Transition has revamped its food pantry
Families in Transition, in partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets, launched a newly remodeled Families in Transition Food Pantry in Manchester last month, reimagined to resemble the look and feel of a traditional grocery store. Stephanie Savard, chief external relations officer at FIT, talked about the pantry’s unique concept.
How does the newly remodeled Families in Transition Food Pantry work?
It’s literally like a mini grocery store. When folks come in, there’s shopping carts and baskets. They check in at the check-in station, and then they can shop through the store. … There are two sort-of aisles — one for our breads and our desserts and bakery items, and then the next aisle is all of the pantry items, like pastas and canned foods. Then, as you move down the aisles, you come across the dairy section, a meat section and a produce section. Hannaford helped us with the purchasing of refrigerated fans so that it looks just like the produce department at a grocery store. It’s displayed beautifully, and folks can just walk up and pick the produce that they want. … People can either bring their own reusable bags, or we can put [the food] in boxes. As they’re leaving, they check out like you would with a cashier. … Hannaford even helped us with getting a huge food scale so that we can weigh the food and know how many pounds of food is donated on a regular basis. … People put their food on the scale and weigh it before they leave. Then, they bring all that good food home to their family.
How did this idea come about?
The Families in Transition Food Pantry was moved to a new location in December 2020. Because it was during Covid, we had to do it quickly. It did the job to get food in the hands of those who needed it, but it had a very warehouse-like feel to it. We really wanted to improve the customer service of the pantry. … We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Hannaford. They are the primary sponsor and donor of all of the fresh produce that we receive. We’ve continued to talk with them about how we can bring better services and better quality to the food pantry. They knew we wanted to do something different, and they really rose to the occasion when we talked about wanting to make it like a shopping experience and wanting to do a better job of inventorying the food that we receive from them. … This amazing donation by Hannaford allowed us to renovate the front portion of the food pantry to look like a mini grocery store.
How many families does the pantry serve?
Before the renovation, we were averaging about 400 unique households a month. Since the renovation, we’ve more than doubled, and we’re averaging about 900 a month. It used to be that people could come in daily or weekly, but we’ve seen such an increase that we had to switch to once a month because we were concerned that our food quantity couldn’t keep up with the pace. It’s hard to say whether the demand went up because of inflation — food, utility and gas prices are higher — or because people are feeling more comfortable coming to our pantry. I’d like to say it’s a combination of both.
What has the response been from families who have used the pantry so far?
The response has been so positive. It’s really bringing dignity and choice for those who are food-insecure. They can choose their own food as opposed to waiting in a line with a big box and just taking whatever is given to them. It’s an opportunity to respect that they know what’s best for their family and know how to meet their family’s needs.
Are other food pantries doing this?
We did some research, and there are definitely some facilities across the country that are doing this, but it’s not common. We’ve had some other shelters and food pantries in New Hampshire and in Maine reach out to us to ask if they could come tour our pantry because they’re interested in mimicking the model.
Is there anything you want to expand or improve on for the pantry in the future?
One thing is making sure that we have culturally diverse foods in our inventory. We serve a diverse population, and we want to make sure we’re getting the food that they want on their table. That can be tricky when you rely on donations, but we can do that through community food drives where we ask for a variety of ethnic foods, and by collaborating with local food stores and markets that serve different populations.
How can people help?
We always need volunteers to pick up the fresh produce from the grocery stores, sort it, and help in the pantry, checking in customers or helping customers with their shopping. People can learn about how to volunteer and sign up on our website, fitnh.org. Then, there’s donating — whether it’s cleaning out your own pantry at home or getting your friends or business or organization together to do a drive. We also have a “high needs” list on our website so that people can do drives specifically for those types of foods. If people would like to do an ethnic food-specific drive, we can get them a list of things we’d love to get for that.
Featured photo: Families in Transition Food Pantry. Courtesy photo.
