Kiddie Pool 20/07/09

Cars and food trucks
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) will hold its annual Classic Car Show outdoors on its grounds on Saturday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event, which welcomes vehicles of all makes and eras, including odd or unusual vehicles, will include a raffle, a yard sale and several food trucks, according to a press release (which also noted that while the museum remains closed, portable toilets will be available). Admission costs $5 per adult; children 12 and under are free; admission is cash only, the release said. The museum’s reopening is scheduled for Saturday, July 18.

In-person science
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Dr. in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) reopened last week and will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., in July and August, according to the website. Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors, $8.50 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children up to age 2, plus an additional $5 per person for planetarium shows, the website said. Visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear masks and sanitizing wipes will be provided to wipe down exhibits before use, according to the website, which runs down the list of other protocols.

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) has scheduled a few “members only” weekends in early August. On the first two Saturdays and Sundays (Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, and Aug. 8 and Aug. 9), the museum will offer admission by pre-reservation to members between the hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. (between 1 and 2 p.m., the staff will do a deep cleaning of the museum), according to the website. Guests will be asked to stay six feet apart, a temperature check will be done at the door and everybody above the age of 2 will be required to wear masks, the website said. Memberships start at $100 and include a year of free admission for everybody in a household, the website said. See the website for details about the member weekends and the in-person summer camps, which start July 27.

Family movies
Catch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PG-13, 2019) at the Merrimack Parks & Recreation’s Movies in the Park series at Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road in Merrimack) on Friday, July 10, at 8:30 p.m. A movie that ties up the nine-movie saga of the Skywalker family, Rise of Skywalker is two hours and 22 minutes long. The screening is free, open to residents and non-residents and weather-dependent. See merrimackparksandrec.org or call 882-1046.

For more family films, check out some of the offerings at area theaters, which are screening older films mixed in with some of the 2020 releases that have made it to theaters. For the younger moviegoers, check out Trolls World Tour (PG, released in April), which is screening at Chunky’s in Manchester, Nashua and Pelham, andDespicable Me(PG, 2010) screening at both Chunky’s and the Milford Drive-In, where it is paired with Shrek(PG, 2001). For older moviegoers, check out the double feature of Ghostbusters (PG, 1984 — so like a 1980s PG, be warned) and Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13, 2019). The 1984 Ghostbusters is also screening at Chunky’s, as is The Goonies(PG, 1985) andJaws (PG, 1975). 2016’s The Jungle Book (PG) is also screening at Chunky’s. See milforddrivein.com and chunkys.com for details. These film line-ups are through July 9 and may change on July 10.

Treasure Hunt 20/07/09

Dear Donna,
Would you have any information on the value of this set? I am interested in selling it. There are no blemishes that I can see.
Nancy

Dear Nancy,
I have to start off by saying Hummels are a sad subject (interesting history to read about, though). They are so sweet and the figurines are so well done but they don’t seem to fit in anywhere anymore, so values on them can be as low as 10 cents, even the older ones, West Germany ones, Full Bee, etc. There were so many made in duplicates and brought here after World War II that many homes have some. It was a very popular collection for people for many years.

So when pricing them today you need to figure out where the real value is. Older ones are better, and condition is key. There can be no damage, not even a tiny chip, flake or crack. The mark on the bottom is very important as well. You can do most of this research online. So I would do the research, then try to find some that have sold and are not just listed for sale. That should give you an accurate place to start. Nativity pieces seem to be more desirable than common figurines, for example.

My value on the ones you have would be in the $150 range for the set. But saying that, it still could be tough to sell.

Roses 101

They’re easier to grow than you might think

I love roses, but I avoided planting any for a long time. They had a reputation for being fussy. I thought they would attract Japanese beetles and carry black spot and other diseases. In recent years I have been enjoying growing roses and find that modern breeders have come up with many fine roses that are easy to grow, and not fussy.

So what have I learned? First, roses love full sun, but will grow in part shade. But the more sun they get, the better they do. Six hours of sunshine is considered full sun by most authorities. Afternoon sun is more potent than morning sun, so the west side of the house is better than the east.

Second, roses need good, rich soil. If you have sandy soil or a heavy clay, you will need to improve it in order to succeed. What does that mean? Dig a hole that is at least three times as wide as the pot it was in when you purchased it. If your rose came in an 8-inch pot, a 24-inch hole should be the minimum you dig.

The late Mike Lowe, a rosarian who grew 2,000 kinds of roses in Nashua, told me to dig a hole 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep — if possible. If you have heavy clay, he said, put a couple of inches of pea stone in the bottom of the hole for drainage. Then fill it with an equal mix of topsoil and compost.

When planting a tree, it is important to dig a hole shallow enough so that the tree does not get its trunk flare buried. The trunk flare is the portion of the tree that was above ground when it was growing before it was potted up for sale. Often that trunk flare is covered with soil when you buy it, and needs to be exposed.

Not so for roses.

Many roses are grafted onto rootstock. The bud union — a scar — should be buried in the soil. The colder the climate, the deeper that graft line or bud union should be. For Zone 4, it should be about four inches below the final soil line. Zone 5? Three inches. Zone 6? Two inches.

Third, roses like soil that is just slightly acidic — pH 6.0 to 6.8. If you have acidic soil, say somewhere in the 5.0-to-6.0 range, you should add limestone to bring up the soil pH and make it less acidic. Mike Lowe suggested burying a three-inch square of gypsum wallboard directly below each rose to provide limestone over the long haul. I’m not sure just how effective that is.

Don’t know your soil pH? You can get an inexpensive pH testing kit at your local garden center. Or you can send a sample to your State University Extension Service.

Roses need more water than most other things, but do not want to sit in soggy soil. They should get an inch of water per week from rain, or a couple of watering cans of water applied slowly so it can soak in. A deep watering once a week is better than a little sprinkle every day.

I called Mike and Angie Chute of East Providence, Rhode Island, to pick their brains about roses. They have been growing roses for 25 years, and are the authors of Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening. They are well-known speakers at the spring flower shows. Their web site is rosesolutions.net.

I asked them what they thought of the new roses that have been developed in the last 25 years, and how they rate them against the old heritage roses. Mike explained that the trademarked “Knock Out” roses have become immensely popular. I have some, and agree that they are wonderful. They bloom most of the summer and well into the fall, seem to get no diseases and do not attract pests.

On the other hand, most of the Knock Out roses have no fragrance, and do not have the long stems that lovers want to present to their sweeties. Mike and Angie grow them, along with 150 other kinds of roses, and said that the “Easy Elegance” series of roses is at least as good, and maybe better.

Want more blossoms? Mike said that roses do better if they get some fertilizer a few times during the course of the summer. They use chemical fertilizer, a 10-10-10 for a “kick in the pants,” and mulch with chopped seaweed. They like an organic, slow-release bagged fertilizer called Rose Tone, and sometimes use liquid fish and seaweed fertilizers made by Neptune’s Harvest.

My roses grow in good soil, and I have been neglectful of them — I rarely fertilize. But a dose of liquid fish and seaweed fertilizer two or three times in the summer might help. I’ll do it this weekend.

Want to learn more? The Chutes’ book, mentioned above, is excellent and worth reading. I also like one published by Rodale Press in 2002, Growing Roses Organically: Your Guide to Creating an Easy-Care Garden Full of Fragrance and Beauty by Barbara Wilde. It has a half-page description with a photo of each of 100 roses that will do well with organic care.

June is over, but roses are not. Nowadays, many roses will rebloom every 45 days or so, and some bloom almost constantly. Just be sure to cut off spent blossoms, and down to another shoot with five leaves or more.

Featured photo: ‘At Last’ a re-blooming hybrid developed by Proven Winters is a zone 5 rose that I have had for 4 years in Zone 4. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 20/07/09

• Children’s theater is happening: The 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series is going on now through mid-August at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester), with kid-friendly theater performances every Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The lineup includes Beauty and the Beast on July 9; The Wizard of Oz July 14 through July 16; The Little Mermaid July 21 through July 23; Aladdin July 28 through July 30; Alice in Wonderland Aug. 4 through Aug. 6; Peter Pan Aug. 11 through Aug. 13; and Cinderella Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• Get your free comics: Free Comic Book Day has been reworked as Free Comic Book Summer, which starts on Wednesday, July 15, and continues through Wednesday, Sept. 9. Participating local comic book shops will put out five or six different free comics every week. The comics include superhero stories, television and move spinoffs, sci-fi adventures and more. Visit freecomicbookday.com for the full list of this year’s free comics and to find participating comic book shops in your area.

• In-person workshops: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis) has two upcoming in-person art workshops — one for adults and one for kids. In “Simple Books for Adults” on Wednesday, July 15, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, participants will learn how to make a simple book for journaling and art making, using watercolor and ink to decorate the cover. The cost is $27. Then, on Friday, July 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon., kids in grades 4 through 7 can create a felted strawberry keychain. The cost is $29. Call 465-9453 or visit wildsalamander.com.

• New Hampshire artist becomes a national leader in the arts: Laura Morrison of Concord, longtime member of the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter, has been named the national president of the WCA, according to a press release from WCA/NH. Morrison has served as the WCA/NH newsletter editor, exhibitions chair, vice president and president and served nationally as the WCA vice president of Chapter Relations. She is also currently the gallery director at Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen. “Moving forward with Laura Morrison as president makes our local chapter very proud,” WCA/NH board member Kimberly J.B. Smith said in the press release. “We look forward to her intellectual vision on how the organization will proceed into the future.” WCA seeks to create community through art, education and social activism. Its members include artists, art historians, students, educators and museum professionals. Every year, the WCA presents lifetime achievement awards to women who have made outstanding contributions in the arts. Visit wcanh.org.

• Duo display: Work by two artists and members of the New Hampshire Art Association will be featured in a display, “2020 Double Vision,” on view in the lobby at 2 Pillsbury St. in Concord now through Sept. 17. Both artists create paintings inspired by scenes in New England and beyond. Debbie Mueller’s style uses bold, simple designs with a focus on light and how light affects the shapes and colors within a scene. Marianne Stillwagon’s paintings depict picturesque villages and changing seasons in a contemporary primitive Americana style. “It’s extraordinary how two artists can look at the same scene and create vastly different paintings,” Mueller said in a press release. “We each have our unique vision and way of interpreting our world … [and] our unique viewpoint to our scenes.” All artwork is for sale. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Featured photo: Debbie Mueller art. Courtesy photo.

Spreading the word

Meet Youth Poet Laureate Elliot DelSignore

New Hampshire Youth Poet Laureate is an honorary position held by a New Hampshire high school student who has demonstrated dedication to and excellence in writing and an enthusiasm to share poetry with the public, particularly other young people. During their tenure, Youth Poet Laureates participate in at least four events in the state that are focused on supporting and increasing opportunities for young people to read and write poetry, and are given the opportunity to publish their own poems in an NHYPL anthology. Elliot DelSignore, a senior at Souhegan High School in Amherst, is one of four Youth Poet Laureates, chosen by The Poetry Society of New Hampshire, to serve during the 2020-2021 academic year.

How did you get into poetry?

It was kind of recently that I discovered my passion for it. In sixth grade, I was in a poetry club at my middle school, but at that time I wasn’t really into poetry that much. I’ve been writing my whole life, but it wasn’t until maybe a year ago that I really started getting into poetry, specifically. At first, I just thought it was something cool I could do. I had a lot of friends who were into it, and I thought it would be a fun way to relate to them and do collaborative stuff like that. Then I started looking into the publication scene and taking it more seriously.

What type of poetry do you write?

I prefer writing free-verse as opposed to any specific format or style of poetry. The biggest thing I like to write about is emotions and memories. I like to focus on specific memories, and on the emotion that I felt from them, and then I take that emotion and make it into a sort of narrative and include fictional elements in it.

What do you enjoy most about writing poetry?

I just think that it is such an unrestrained form of writing, and that’s the appeal that poetry has to me versus other kinds of creative writing. With short stories or with novels, there’s more of a set structure. There are grammar conventions, and there are certain rules that you have to follow, no matter what you’re writing about in that kind of writing, whereas poetry is just very free. I feel like I can just do so much more. It gives you a lot of free rein to express yourself and a lot of range to do what you want with the words and use the language in ways that you might not be able to do in regular creative writing. It’s just a more versatile form of art.

How did you find out about the Youth Poet Laureate program, and why did you decide to apply?

It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. I’m a staff writer for the Souhegan [High School] digital magazine — it’s called The Claw — and the advisor [for the magazine] originally contacted me about it. He told me he thought it might be something that I would be interested in, because he knows that I do poetry on the side. It was only a few days before the deadline for applications, so I had to work fast, but I applied. … I always thought that my opportunities were kind of limited, since New Hampshire is such a small state, so all I’ve really done up to this point is some publishing online and stuff on more of a national level. I thought this would be a cool way to involve myself more in the writing scene in the state in person.

How did you feel when you found out that you had been chosen?

When I got the call, and they told me they thought that my application was good and that I had been accepted, I was definitely really surprised. I never considered that it would be something that I would be seriously considered for, since I kind of applied on a whim. Also, I had applied to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and I know from that that there are so many talented writers in this state and that so many other people would probably apply for it.

What are you looking forward to most?

I think what I’m most excited for is the readings and workshops, and I’m excited to meet other people who are like-minded. When I applied, I didn’t know that there would be other Youth Poet Laureates, so it was definitely great to find out that there would be a few of us. It’ll be cool to work with other people who have mutual interests and passions.

What would you like to accomplish during your tenure?

Our school system doesn’t really foster an appreciation for poetry beyond what they teach in class. I hope to show students in New Hampshire that poetry isn’t just restricted to the things that you read in English class. It doesn’t only have to be about nature or fall into a certain genre. Your poetry can be whatever you want it to be. … Also, I know that when I first started writing poetry and was looking for areas to publish my work, it was hard for me to find [print publications] that would accept high school writers. Since I have experience with the digital publishing side of things and with online literary magazines and journals, I want to work to draw more attention toward those kinds of online opportunities, which can be difficult to find.

What advice do you have for other young poets?

The best thing you can do — and this goes for any form of art — is practice and work at it. Even if you think that your work is not good or you’re discouraged because it’s not at the level that you want it to be, just keep doing it and eventually you’ll improve.

Quality of Life 20/07/09

Bummer about baseball
The Fisher Cats announced last week that Minor League Baseball has officially canceled the 2020 season. According to a message on the team’s website, Fisher Cats season ticket holders, mini-plan holders and fans who booked groups, suites and other hospitality nights for the 2020 season will receive a 125-percent credit on their deposit to be used toward the 2021 season, and single-game tickets can be used at any Fisher Cats home game in 2021. “We’ve remained optimistic throughout this process and done everything we can to prepare for the 2020 season, so [this] news is difficult to hear,” Fisher Cats President Mike Ramshaw said in the release. “But fan safety is our top priority, and we’ve already begun hosting safe, socially distanced events to make Delta Dental Stadium available to our community this summer.”
Score: -2
Comment: This will be the first time in 17 years that the Fisher Cats won’t play ball in New Hampshire, according to the message. In that time, the team has won three Eastern League Championships and sent 125 players to the majors.

Volunteers for the win
Civic involvement and engaging youth volunteers were a couple of the topics covered in the three-day 2020 Governor’s Conference on Volunteerism, held recently via Zoom, according to a press release. The keynote address, “​The Power of Giving Power Away: Finding Fit to Maximize Volunteer and Organization Impact​,” was given by Bryan Bessette, president and director of the Freedom Café in Durham, which is a nonprofit that works to end human trafficking.
Score: +1
Comment: It’s never too late to start volunteering. “[Covid-19] has made people kind of reevaluate a little bit where they’re going on their path in life, and that’s what Volunteer NH is all about,” Gov. Chris Sununu said at the conference. “That’s what these service organizations are all about — finding something that can be a new path for you to find your service, whatever it might be.”

Dry conditions mean higher risk of wildfires
The risk of wildfires due to abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions throughout the state has prompted the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau and the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office to ask that residents and visitors use extra caution when having campfires, cooking outdoors or using fireworks. According to a press release, 90 percent of wildfires in New Hampshire are caused by human factors, and the state experiences 200 wildfires on average each year. “A single ember from a campfire or an errant spark from fireworks landing on dried grass, leaves or other combustible items can ignite and become a wildfire that results in property damage, personal injury or even loss of life,” the press release reads.
Score: -1
Comment: Fire permits are required for all open outdoor burning, which includes debris fires, campfires and bonfires; seasonal permits are available to individuals or businesses that have recurring fires, such as home fire pits and campgrounds. Permits are available at nhfirepermit.com.

Local food at your fingertips
Wondering where to get fresh dairy, produce and specialty foods in Merrimack County? A town-by-town food guide, created by the Merrimack County Conservation District, lists farms in the area as well as local farmers markets, according to a press release. This is the 10th year the district has created this guide, which also features short articles about local farms. The purpose of the guide, according to the release, is to let residents and visitors know about the agricultural diversity in Merrimack County and how to find a variety of products.
Score: +1
Comment:You can download a copy at merrimackccd.org, or request a physical copy by calling 223-6020 or emailing [email protected].

QOL score: 52
Net change: -1
QOL this week: 51

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

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