Felix Alvarado Jr., better known on the job as Mr. “A,” is a professional educator and director of Straight “A” Academy, a college preparation education service in southern New Hampshire.
Explain your job and what it entails.
January through April, my job is all about working directly with students, helping them improve their SAT and ACT prep scores. … Then there’s a period of time where I’m able to focus more on business and professional development, staying on top of the latest trends and what’s new with the testing and college admissions process. … Late summer through October is another big testing season, so I’m back to primarily working with students.
How long have you had this job?
I’ve been a professional educator for 35 years, but I started focusing on test prep and college admissions and launched Straight “A” Academy in 2008.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I started out in pre-med. … After a couple of years at [college], I was doing a lot of soul-searching, and I took one of those skills tests, and it told me, ‘teacher.’ I looked at it and said, ‘That resonates. … That’s what I’ve known all along.’ … I transitioned out of pre-med into education. … I had been a classroom teacher for 20-some years when I decided to launch a tutoring center in Bedford. I … started specializing in SAT and ACT test preparation, because there was a strong demand. … I ended up getting enough business after that first year that I had to leave the classroom.
What kind of training did you need?
In terms of being a test prep or college admissions coach, there’s not a specific certification out there. The training that I found was most important to me as a test prep coach was … my professional training in education in college, but beyond that, just experience [teaching] … and learning how to … read my students to find the best way to help them understand.
What is your typical at-work attire?
Business-casual to casual. I try not to be too formal with my students because one of my objectives is to make them feel comfortable.
How has your job changed over the last year?
Believe it or not, all the Covid [changes] have been seamless for me. I’ve been using platforms like Zoom to work with students around the world … for many years. The biggest change for me is that I had to totally close down my physical office in Merrimack last year, and now all my work is done in cyberspace. … I’m waiting to find the right time and place to reopen a physical office, but honestly, I don’t know that I really need to, because … I’m as effective in my Zoom room as I am in my office.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
I wish I had known about all of the opportunities in education other than just [being a] classroom teacher. … I would have specialized [in college prep coaching] sooner.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
I think some people have this feeling that tutors are [educators who] weren’t good enough to be a classroom teacher, and that’s obviously not fair or true. I wish people knew that tutoring is, in many ways, much more challenging. You have to be very skilled to do it well … and you feel more pressure to help your student succeed when it’s just you [one-on-one with] your student.
What was the first job you ever had?
The summer after seventh grade, I worked in a restaurant, busing tables, cleaning bathrooms and sometimes helping in the kitchen.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Specialize in one thing, and be the best you can be at that one thing
Five favorites Favorite book: The Bible and A Tale of Two Cities. Favorite movie: The Man Who Knew Too Little. Favorite music: Handel’s Water Music and, being Latino, I have to give a nod to salsa, merengue and bachata. Favorite food: Mexican food. Favorite thing about NH: The proximity to a wide array of activities.
I have a set of clear Pyrex bowls that I got at a yard sale. I’m wondering if they have value to them, being a set of three. All are in really great unused condition. I have seen pattern Pyrex pieces for much more than I paid for these, so I am curious. Linda
Dear Linda, I think the set of bowls is sweet, and being Pyrex is a plus. But keep in mind Pyrex is still produced today. Many patterns have changed and there have been some different styles as well over time. The company started in Corning, N.Y., but now is in Pennsylvania. Can’t think of any home that doesn’t have a piece or several in it. The stuff was made to last, and that it did.
I would say that values are in the patterns, age, condition and rarity of production of pieces. So clear and common form at any age would be in the lower end of values. Not knowing what you paid I still think in today’s secondary market the set of three would be in the range of $25. You can’t buy a good set of bowls cheaper these days.
New Hampshire Children’s Trust is offering a free download of its Strengthening Families Across NH Activity Book. Courtesy image.
Animal fun
A traveling petting zoo and horse and pony rides will be part of the Power of Angels Kitty Angels Fundraiser, which takes place Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Treasures, Antiques, Collectibles & More (106 Ponemah Road, Amherst, 672-2535, treasuresnh.com). The weekend will also feature artists and artisans, live entertainment, food vendors, flea market and yard sales and a raffle — and of course, adoptable kitties. Proceeds go to Kitty Angels, a no-kill cat shelter that rescues stray and abandoned cats and kittens, treats their injuries or health issues and then places them into new homes.
Explore the live animal exhibit trail, which features a new raptor exhibit, when Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road, Holderness, 968-7194) opens for the season on Saturday, May 1. The raptor complex includes nine raptor species in new aviaries, including a bald eagle and great horned owl. At another exhibit, children can imagine themselves as baby birds hatching out of giant eggs, and there’s a new Songbird Feeding Station for visitors to observe wild birds that visit the Science Center. The Hidden Stories Exhibit, which opened in 2020, uses trail cameras to observe red fox, white-tailed deer, coyote and black bear. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the last trail admission in the 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. time slot. Trail admission is $18 for adults and seniors (age 16+), $13 for youth ages 3 to 15, and free to children 2 and younger. Tickets must be purchased in advance at nhnature.org. The center’s Squam Lake Cruises, which feature lake wildlife, will begin in mid-May. Tickets are available online.
Family activity
New Hampshire Children’s Trust is offering a free download of its Strengthening Families Across NH Activity Book, which is designed for young children and early adolescents and features activities like word searches, mazes, coloring pages and drawing pages, all with messages that promote things like resilience and positive relationships. New Hampshire Children’s Trust works to prevent child abuse by strengthening families with basic supports, parenting education and more. Download the activity book at nhchildrenstrust.org/prevention.
Featured photo: New Hampshire Children’s Trust is offering a free download of its Strengthening Families Across NH Activity Book. Courtesy image.
Jason Lindahl bought his first comic book when he was 6 years old. More than 40 years later, he still loves those brightly colored pages and has found a way to surround himself with them: by opening a comic book store in downtown Dover.
Khaotic Comics opened April 17, the location chosen because of the city’s lack of comics.
“There’s been a huge need for it in this area,” he said. “People in the Dover area had to go to Rochester or Newington to buy comic books. … I’ve got customers that used to take buses over to Newington because that was the only place they could get the stuff they wanted to read.”
Lindahl believes that comic books have been and still are making a comeback.
“The industry is building up,” he said. “There’s more and more movies coming out. Comic books are becoming more and more popular.”
The shop’s name is inspired by the nature of comic book stores, with the purposeful misspelling adding to the meaning.
“When you look in a comic book store, it can look kind of chaotic,” he said with a laugh.
Lindahl and his wife already have experience with owning and operating businesses: He runs a generator company and she runs a health care company. Still, opening a new business in these times was nerve-wracking, despite the field’s growing popularity, Lindahl said. Between financial concerns, community interest and finding a location, there was no shortage of stress.
But so far, it’s all been worth it. Opening day was met with great success.
“We had over 400 people show up at the store,” Lindahl said. “My wife served over 200 [free] hot dogs to anybody that wanted them.”
Lindahl hopes that Khaotic Comics can be a meaningful addition to the Dover community.
“I’d like to help out the library and youth groups,” he said. “I can give them free comic books to help with education and reading.”
The shop also plans to offer tabletop gaming, such as Pokemon and Dungeons & Dragons.
“Kids will have a place to come and hang out and relax and be in a safe environment,” he said.
-Sadie Burgess
Khaotic Comics Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week Where: 590 Central Ave., Dover More info: khaoticcomics.com
If you suffer from spring allergies, this would be a good time to know what plants are affecting your comfort. Right now, many trees are dumping their pollen. Most trees are wind-pollinated and produce lots of pollen. They depend on the wind to move pollen around — and up your nose.
Although some trees and shrubs produce both male and female flowers, many are dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are on separate plants. It is thus to their advantage to produce their (insignificant-looking) flowers and lots of pollen before the leaves get in the way. Which for me is right now. Showy flowers do not necessarily mean that trees like catalpa are low on the aggravation index (they are rated 8 of 10 on the index), but others like magnolias are lower. Both of those are pollinated by insects.
Of the trees, male poplars are among the worst — and in my area, they are just starting to bloom. Other culprits include willows, birches, oaks and some maples, but not all. If you are buying trees, look for trees that have separate male and female plants (as opposed to both on one). Always buy the female specimen if you can, as it is the males that produce the pollen and cause the allergic reactions. Not all plant tags will tell you if the plant is male or female, but good nurseries may know.
Very popular in the landscape industry right now is the Hakuru nashiki willow. It has tri-colored (green, white and pink) leaves in June and is sold either as a multi-stemmed shrub or as a “standard.” Standards are created by grafting branches on the top of a straight, bare-of-branches stem that is generally about 4 feet tall. As far as I know, Hakuru nashiki willows are all female, so they do not create the pollen that a pussy willow produces.
Want a nice pussy willow? Not all are bad for the allergy-prone. It is worth consulting a book like Tom Ogren’s Allergy-Free Gardening that lists trees and flowers species by species (and often with cultivars) with their potential for making you miserable. Ogren’s book lists “Weeping Sally” as a pussy willow with the lowest rating for causing allergies, while the male forms of white willow are among the worst rated. Even so, many of the males are sold as named cultivars for decorative purposes.
Not all pollen is created equal. Each spring I notice all the yellow pollen dropped on my car by pine trees. Pines produce huge amounts of pollen, but it is waxy and not very irritating to your nasal membranes. And it’s heavy, so it doesn’t fly far.
After the trees do their thing, along come the grasses. The seven worst offenders are introduced species of grass, including orchard grass, bluegrasses and timothy grass, which is commonly grown for animal feed. Grasses are wind-pollinated, and their pollen can float long distances. Your lawn should not be a problem so long as you never let the grass get tall enough to blossom. But fungal spores in the lawn can cause allergic reactions and can be stirred up by mowing, so if you get hay fever, you have a good excuse to get your spouse or kid to do the mowing.
Flowers with flashy form generally are not significant allergy-producers. Tulips, delphinium and peonies are obviously trying to get attention. They are the flirts — and insect-pollinated. Others such as hostas are among those least likely to cause an allergic reaction.
According to Lucy Huntington in her book Creating a Low-Allergen Garden, members of the daisy family have flowers that are insect-pollinated, but their pollen is highly allergenic to most sufferers. Chrysanthemums, asters, marigolds and zinnias can bother folks with allergies. I suppose that is particularly the case if you enjoy sniffing their scents. She also suggests avoiding geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids), strawflowers, dahlia hybrids, foxglove, sunflowers, nicotiana and cosmos.
Huntington’s book is full of lists and suggestions for low-allergen plants. Here are some of her suggestions for plants suitable for people with pollen allergies:
Annuals: Snapdragons, petunias, annual phlox, scarlet sage, purple salvia, pansies, bacopa, California poppies, nasturtiums and verbena
The good news is this: Pollen is generally released in the morning, and by evening much of it has settled down, so evening should be a better time to garden. And rain knocks the pollen out of the air, so run outside and pull weeds after a nice downpour. You don’t have to cut down the culprits, and wearing a Covid mask will help if pollen is really bugging you!
Featured photo: Catalpa blossoms are showy and insect-pollinated but still can cause hay fever. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Studio 550 bowls. Courtesy photo.
• Group art show: The New Hampshire Art Association presents its “Body of Work: Series I” exhibition, featuring artwork in a variety of media by eight local artists, online and in person at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through May 2. NHAA holds several “Body of Work” exhibitions each year. “By exhibiting multiple works, the featured artists are able to present their overall artistic vision, sometimes difficult to do with one or two pieces,” the Association said in a press release. All works are for sale. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• Art for sale: Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester) will have a Spring Cleaning and Community Fundraiser from May 3 through May 8. There will be a variety of handmade items by local artists for sale, including bowls for $15, with proceeds supporting Families in Transition – New Horizons’ efforts to end hunger and homelessness in the local community. A $1 pottery sale of abandoned workshop pottery will benefit Studio 550’s Clay for Kids Scholarship. Fundraiser hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, from noon to 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday, from 2 to 6 p.m. Call 232-5597 or visit [email protected].
“The Boundaries of Our Love,” oil painting by Brittany Soucy, featured in NHAA’s “Body of Work” exhibition. Courtesy photo.
• African fashion: The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth) presents an exhibit, “Fashion Forward: Africana Style,” on view May 1 through Sept. 1. The exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. See photos from Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo by London-based photographer Tariq Zaidi; vintage African fashion pieces from 1930s Liberia reflecting influences of Islam and African American immigration; and more than a dozen contemporary fashion and fabric art pieces created or owned by African and African American women living and working on the Seacoast and throughout the East Coast. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Call 430-6027 or visit saacc-nh.org.
“Pastoral,” watercolor painting by Ellen Hopkins Fountain, featured in NHAA’s “Body of Work” exhibition. Courtesy photo.
• Irish playwright showcase: Manchester-based theater company Theatre Kapow continues its 13th season with a livestreamed production of Room April 30 through May 2, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The show features three stories by two Irish playwrights: A Girl’s Bedroom and Room 303 by Enda Walsh and the American premiere of I Used to Feel by Ailís Ní Ríain. “What I love about Room is that, at the heart of it, the piece is really just about one character in a single room at one point in his or her life,” artistic director Matt Cahoon said in a press release. Tickets cost $10 per streaming device. Ticket holders will be sent the link to watch the show. Visit tkapow.com.
Art
Call for Art
• FIBER ART EXHIBIT The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group invites New Hampshire fiber artists to submit work for its upcoming exhibit of fiber art and textiles, “Tension: Process in the Making.” Exhibit will run July 24 through Sept. 4 at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Submission deadline is Fri., May 1. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
• SUMMER ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) is accepting applications for its two-week summer residency. Open to visual artists of all media who are interested in creating art inspired by the architecture, landscape, traditional crafts, furniture, artistic endeavors and culture of the Shakers. Resident artists will live and work onsite at the village and talk with visitors about their creative process. To apply, email [email protected] with a bio or resume, an artist’s statement, a paragraph about why you’re interested in the residency and what you hope to accomplish, and five images of your most recent artwork. Deadline is Fri., May 1. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.
Exhibits
• “BODY OF WORK: SERIES I” New Hampshire Art Association presents an exhibition featuring artwork in a variety of media by eight local artists. On view now through May 2. Online and in person at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. All works are for sale. Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• 35TH ANNUAL OMER T. LASSONDE JURIED EXHIBITION The New Hampshire Art Association presents a group art show featuring works in a variety of media by NHAA members and non-members. NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth). On view now through May 30. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.
• “TRANSFORMATIONS: NATURE AND BEYOND” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by digital artist William Townsend. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through June 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “RETABLOS RECONSIDERED” Exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). On view now through June 6. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
Special events
• MAGNIFY VOICES EXPRESSIVE ARTS CELEBRATION Youth artwork showcased to help raise awareness and decrease stigma of mental illness and affect change to ensure social and emotional health for all children in New Hampshire. May, date TBA. Visit tinyurl.com/magnifyvoices2021 or email [email protected].
Theater
Shows
• GODSPELL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 30. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• FUN HOME The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 28. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Sat., May 8, May 22 and June 5, and Thurs., June 24, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• FAME JR. The Seacoast Repertory Theatre PAPA Jr. presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. May 5 through May 12. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Fri., May 7, May 21 and June 4, and Thurs., June 17, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• 42ND STREET Recorded live in London. Virtual screening presented by Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. May 12 through May 19. $15 per ticket. Call 225-1111 or visit ccanh.com.
