On The Job – Krystyl Jenkins

Certified paralegal, professional of HR and mediator

Krystyl Jenkins owns her own business, Paralegal Solutions, based in Derry, in which she provides services as a certified paralegal, certified professional of HR, trained mediator and online business manager to clients throughout New Hampshire.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I’m a jack of all trades. … I help individuals start up or expand their own business or nonprofit, and I assist them with translating legalese and navigating the legal process. While I’m not an attorney and cannot give legal advice, I can help them fill out the basic forms and understand the general legal process for most types of legal cases. For small businesses, I could be handling their social media, monthly newsletters or blog posts or assisting with HR matters as needed, which could include drafting or updating employee handbooks and training manuals and such. For attorneys, I generally handle document drafting, filing and other general paralegal tasks. As a mediator, I assist parties in coming to a resolution of the issue that brought them to me — or at least we try to come to a resolution.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been a certified paralegal since 2008 and a certified professional of HR and mediator since 2020.

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

I kind of fell into it. When I was just a paralegal, I had been assisting friends and family in navigating the legal system and translating legalese for a while, and I realized I could do more than that. I set up Paralegal Solutions in 2018, but didn’t really do much with it until 2020 when I had a friend ask me to help them start a business. Then, someone else wanted to expand their business into another state, and after that I helped a client start a nonprofit and receive their IRS 501(c)(3) certification.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I started with a B.S. in equine science and then gained a B.S. in paralegal studies. Along the way, I gained a Professional of HR certification and completed mediator training. I have 15 years of experience as a certified paralegal and running offices.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

If I’m just working at home, I’m dressed pretty casual. If I’m meeting a client in person, I’ll aim for business casual.

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

That nothing is ever locked into stone, and the road is never flat.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Communication is key.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first job was probably babysitting. I remember taking the American Red Cross babysitting course and then babysitting neighborhood children. That expanded when I began doing a paper route in the neighborhood.

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

Never stop learning.

Five favorites

Favorite book: in Death series by J.D. Robb
Favorite movie: There are way too many to choose from.
Favorite music: I’m pretty partial to Halestorm.
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite thing about NH: New Hampshire has a little bit of everything.

Featured photo: Krystyl Jenkins. Courtesy photo.

Planning a garden in the lawn

Start with an outline and some compost

This is a good time to make plans. If you are willing to spend just 15 minutes a day, every day, from spring to fall you can create an edible showcase for beauty: the splendid look of ripe red tomatoes, multi-colored Swiss chard or glossy green peppers. It’s not nearly as difficult as you think. And unlike maintaining a lawn, you get to eat the results of your labor. Here’s what you need to do:

To grow good vegetables you need sunshine, at least 6 hours a day and preferably more. For most people, the sunniest part of the yard is in the middle of the lawn. A well-maintained vegetable garden can be as gorgeous as a flower garden. And if you like flowers, you can plant some of those in your vegetable garden, too.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew — or weed. A nice lawn garden can be just 10 feet across and 12 feet long. Properly maintained, it will provide you with fresh veggies much of the summer.

Using string and stakes, define the borders of the garden and pry out the sod after cutting it into 1-foot squares with an edging tool or a spade. Use the sod to start a compost pile.

Start early enough in the season — say the first of May — so you can work just 15 or 20 minutes a day for a week or more to get all the grass out. That way you get in the habit of spending time in the garden, but don’t develop blisters or an aching back. Gardening should be fun, not hard work. Still, it can give you a workout without going to the gym.

Your lawn garden will have two raised beds separated by a walkway. Once you have removed the sod, you can just mound up the soil to form beds about 30 inches wide with a walkway up the middle and a 6-inch space between the lawn and the beds all the way around the garden. To do this, (after removing the sod) loosen the soil with a garden fork, shake out the soil and then rake the soil from the perimeter and the walkway onto the beds.

Then spread out five bags of composted cow manure on each bed (each bag is usually labeled 30 quarts), and work it into the loose soil with your garden fork or favorite hand tool.

Alternatively, you can build wood-sided beds using ordinary 6- or 8-inch-wide planks. For more years of service, 2-inch-thick lumber is even better. Gardener’s Supply (www.gardeners.com) sells a variety of brackets for building raised beds, and I suppose others do, too.

If you build wood-sided beds you will have to buy more filler than if using mounded beds. Most garden centers sell topsoil and compost by the tractor scoop, which is usually two thirds of a cubic yard of material. They’ll dump right into the back of your pickup truck, or even deliver (for a price). I recommend a mix of topsoil and compost, a 50-50 mix.

If you make wood-sided beds you can place them right on the lawn without removing the sod, which saves a lot of labor. Just scalp the grass with the lawnmower and put a thick layer of newspapers over the lawn, then fill the box. Long carrots might hit the bottom the first year, but most other plants won’t be bothered.

What to plant? Make a list of the veggies you like best and that taste best freshly picked. If you plant tomatoes, dedicate at least 24 inches of a row to each plant. And buy those wire cages for your tomatoes, so they won’t flop over and shade out your carrots or broccoli nearby.

I like to plant lettuce seedlings all around the tomatoes at the beginning of the season while the tomatoes are still small. By the time the plants get big, the lettuce will have been harvested and eaten. Run your rows north-south, and plant tomatoes (or any tall plants) on the north end of the garden so they will shade other plants less. Buy some bagged organic fertilizer and stir some in at planting time.

Oh, and about those weeds: The easiest way to prevent a problem is to mulch. Put down six sheets of newspaper and cover it with straw, mulch hay or last fall’s leaves. This will keep the soil dark, turning off the switch that weed seeds have to tell them when to germinate. Mulch also holds in the moisture during dry times. But when a few weeds do turn up — and they will — be sure to pull them before they get big and make more seeds. That’s preventive maintenance.

Gardening is said to be a middle-aged sport. After all, what parent of three toddlers has time to weed? But if you wish to reduce your food costs and feed your family well, a garden is great. And done this way, you can maintain it in 15 minutes a day. I promise. Just keep at it daily, and you’ll be surprised and delighted at how good your garden looks, and how much food you can grow — right in the middle of the lawn!

Featured photo: Adding composted manure enriches the soil. Courtesy photo.

Treasure Hunt 23/02/02

Good morning, Donna! My name is Katie. I live in Hooksett and I have always enjoyed your segment in the Hippo each week. I wanted to see if you could give me any insight on my Levi’s belt buckle.

Sincerely, Katie.

Dear Katie,

I did lots of research for you and never came up with your belt buckle.

I did come up with a couple reasons why I think you might have a knockoff (reproduction). First, the design in the leather doesn’t match any of the cowboy themes all others have. Second, the marking on the edge, “Levi,” was always followed by “Strauss.” If it’s not a reproduction it is an extremely rare piece. In your letter you stated you sent information to the company and never heard back. That makes me more confident in my findings.

No matter what, Katie, it’s a sweet buckle. Thanks for reading the Hippo and my column.

Kiddie Pool 23/02/02

Family fun for the weekend

Library excitement

• Ever wanted to be in an episode of Stranger Things? The Manchester City Library (405Pine St.) is offering something like that at its teen escape room on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 3 p.m. Teens in grades 6 to 12 are invited to hang out during the Teen Thursday, where the escape room will be happening in addition to usual activities including snacks and gaming sessions on the library’s Nintendo Switch. For more information, visit manchester.lib.nh.us.

• Join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a special event called take your child to the library day, sponsored by children’s musician Steve Blunt and author and illustrator Marty Kelley on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Blunt and Kelley will perform a show with music, books and laughter all about going to the library. This event is free to attend. Visit nashualibrary.org.

Soccer star

• Kim Chafee, a children’s author, is slated to attend the storytime and crafts event at Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11:30 a.m. She will read her new book Courage in Her Cleats: The Story of Soccer Star Abby Wambach and the event will include soccer-themed activities, according to the website. The event is free; register online.

Beary fun

• A special Girl Scouts build-a-bear workshop is opening at the New Hampshire Girl Scouts council office (1 Commerce Drive in Bedford) on Saturday, Feb. 4, with a special gala taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The location will have Girl Scouts branded merchandise for troop members to choose from. The gala will have raffles and giveaways while customers get the chance to explore the new location. For more information about this event, visit girlscoutsgwm.org.

Outdoor adventures

• The New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org, 668-2045) is hosting a cold creatures and hot cocoa event on Saturday, Feb. 4, from noon to 1 p.m. Families can learn all about cold-blooded creatures like snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards and more, as well as meet some of them in person, all while sipping on delicious hot beverages. The Massabesic Center recommends this program for kids ages 5 to 13. It costs from $15 per family and registration can be completed at nhaudubon.org.

• The NHScots second annual great kilt skate will be on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. at White Park (1 White St. in Concord). The organization will have Scottish tunes, hot chocolate, coffee and a few other wintery surprises. The group invites everyone to don a kilt, but dress warmly, and take to the ice with them in the free event. There is a warming house available for anyone who gets too cold. Visit nhscot.org for more information.

• Dreamer’s Ranch (125 N. Lowell Road, Windham) is hosting a Fire and Ice Winter Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Take a wagon ride from the ranch’s parking lot to the festival grounds, where there will be sledding, skating and other winter activities. Live music will be provided by local bands, and the ranch will have bonfires to help visitors keep warm. There will also be hot dogs and hamburgers from the grill. Tickets for the event cost $15 and can be purchased in advance at youthstorm.org/dreamersranch.

Scales and tails

New England Reptile Expo returns to Manchester

By Mya Blanchard

listings@hippopress.com

On Sunday, Feb. 5, reptiles of all shapes and sizes will return to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the New England Reptile Expo.

“[It’s] the legacy of my husband,” said Meredith Lowder, the wife of the late Bruce Lowder, who founded the event. “About 30 years or so ago he started a snake show at the Greenburgh Nature Center in [Scarsdale, New York]. … At the same time he was expanding the show, he started to have a show in New Hampshire.”

Since the expo started in the Granite State around two decades ago, what began as a show with only about 15 vendor tables has since grown to become known as the largest in the area.

“We typically have approximately 200 tables, and some vendors have one table and some have as many as seven. … On these tables are reptiles and invertebrates. Pretty much anything you could imagine that is safe to sell in the state of New Hampshire,” Lowder said.

These animals include bearded dragons, turtles and iguanas, as well as various breeds of snakes, geckos and spiders, to name a few.

“In addition to animals … there are also supplies,” Lowder said. “If you need a tank, if you need a filter, if you need bedding, [or] if you need a warm rock for your new bearded dragon to bask [on] … everything you could possibly need is there.”

Slither and Swim, a New Haven, Connecticut-based retail store specializing in reptiles and tropical fish, has been attending since the beginning.

“We bring all the terrariums, the bedding, the lighting, the heating, the accessories [and] the decorations,” store owner Paul Nixon said.

Ball python breeder Fred Kick, owner of Kicks Balls, will also be there, selling a vast array of reptiles at the expo.

“[We’ll have] almost everything you could think of — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, ball pythons, boa constrictors … all kinds of tarantulas, a little bit of everything,” Kick said. “We’ll probably have maybe 250 different types of reptiles.”

Like Nixon, Kick has been participating in the expo since it began. He’s been in business with his brother since 1987.

“The most important part of what I do is just taking care of the animals. They have to depend on us [and] we’re all they have, so we have to do a good job with what we do,” he said. “Nothing’s better than seeing newborn babies that you helped create. It really is crazy to see them for the first time.”

Lowder said the expo attracts everyone from serious breeders and reptile enthusiasts to families. Three more shows are planned for later this year, on April 2, July 9 and Nov. 5.

“It’s a unique opportunity to see animals that you wouldn’t otherwise see,” she said. “I think anybody who would want to come would have a wonderful time.”

New England Reptile Expo
When: Sunday, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: Tickets are $10 for attendees ages 13 and over, $5 for children ages 7 through 12 and free for children ages 6 and under
Visit: reptileexpo.com

Featured photo: Green snake. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/02/02

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Last call for Piano Men:The Palace Theatre’s ode to the music of Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury, The All New Piano Men, wraps up its run this weekend with shows Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. The show is an original production of Carl Rajotte, artistic director at the Palace (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588), according to the website. Tickets start at $25.

• Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome: Also at the Palace in Manchester this weekend, the Palace Teen Apprentice Company production performed by student actors ages 12 through 18, will present Cabaret on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults. See palacetheatre.org.

• Disney’s next generation: The Riverbend Youth Company will present a tale of the kids of Disney villains in The Descendants: The Musical, based on the Disney Channel movies, at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford; amatocenter.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for children and seniors.

• Get all shook up: Local artists will perform the songs of one Elvis Aaron Presley at “A Night of Elvis,” a variety show featuring songs, skits and more, at the Majestic Theatre (88 Page St. in Manchester; 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20.

• New show — and a slate of concerts: The Two Villages Art Society (Bates Building, 846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) will present a new show — the work of The Secretive and Mysterious Order of the Crimson Sparrow — opening Thursday, Feb. 2, and running through Sunday, Feb. 19. Ty Meier, an artist and member of the Society’s board of directors, organized and curated the show and describes the 14 artists (which include painters, printmakers, illustrators and sculptors) as “a scrappy group of underground art ninjas,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

On Saturdays Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. the gallery will also host concerts featuring light refreshments (donations will be accepted at the door), the release said. The schedule includes Ariel Strasser (a Boston-based Minnesotan singer, songwriter and piano player) on Feb. 11, The Honeybees (Mary Fagan and Chris O’Neill with original songs, 1930s era jazz, Western swing, folk-rock and Americana) on Feb. 18 and Hydro-Geo-Trio (featuring George Holt, Dave McLean, Dan Morrissey and Mitch Simon with blue grass and new-grass) on Feb. 25, the release said.

• Small works and a silent auction: The New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St. in Portsmouth; nhartassociation.org) will hold its annual fundraiser silent auction scheduled to have started Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the gallery and online, according to a press release. The auction will run through Feb. 19. The gallery is also hosting a “Small Works” exhibit featuring works 8 inches by 8 inches or 8 inches by 10 inches, the release said.

• Underground Russian art: Moscow-born Nickolay Manulov, 88, now a resident of New Hampshire, will have his works and pieces by his wife, Ludiya Kirillova, displayed at the Mariposa Museum (26 Main St. in Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org), which is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is also having an artist reception for Manulov, known as “Kuk,” with a Q&A discussion on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. Admission to that event is $10. Manulov’s art, and that of his late wife, was illegal during the time of Stalin and wasn’t allowed to be exhibited in official venues even after Stalin’s death, according to a press release. Kuk emigrated during the Russian invasion of Crimea, bringing his and his wife’s work with him, the release said.

• Dream the impossible dream: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) will present the musical Man of La Mancha, Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. through Sunday, March 5. The show follows Don Quixote, a man who lives in a fantasy world of his own creation that baffles everyone he meets but changes the world for the better and inspires those around him, according to a press release. This show contains adult themes including violence. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at seacoastrep.org

• One-woman show: The Pontine Theatre will present guest artist Tannis Kowalchuk and her original one-woman show Decompositions at the Pontine’s 1845 Plains Schoolhouse Theatre (1 Plains Ave. in Portsmouth; pontine.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. A Feb. 5 show is sold out but an online show is available (it is accessible about a week after the performance, according to the website. Tickets cost $29. In the song-filled multimedia production Kowalchuk performs monologues and stories exploring the composting process as a metaphor for life, according to a press release.

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