Quality of Life 20/12/24

More shelters in state’s biggest cities

The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness announced last week that it has purchased the First Congregational Church of Concord at 177 N. Main St. with CARES Act funding, and it has temporarily moved its Winter Shelter and Resource Center to the larger space. According to a message on the nonprofit’s website, this will allow the shelter to go back to being able to safely accommodate up to 40 people in the Emergency Winter Shelter and about 50 people at a time at the daytime Resource Center — the same numbers as before the pandemic. In Manchester, the Board of Aldermen has approved the use of the old police department building at 351 Chestnut St. as a temporary homeless shelter for the winter, according to a report from WMUR. The City is leasing two floors, which will be able to house 50 people, the report said. And in Nashua, the city’s Soup Kitchen and Shelter will open its new emergency shelter on Spring Street about six months earlier than the anticipated Summer 2021 completion date, according to a story in the Union Leader. The renovation project was fast-tracked because of the pandemic and the need for more space due to social distancing protocols.

Score: +1

Comment: With all three cities finding ways to create more emergency shelter space, it’s a positive step toward ensuring that all New Hampshire residents have a warm place to stay this winter.

Honoring Christa McAuliffe

A commemorative coin in honor of Christa McAuliffe that supports STEM education was unveiled last week. According to a press release, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan led the effort to create the coin to honor McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Proceeds will support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. “Christa was driven by a passion for teaching and scientific discovery, and this … coin will help continue her legacy,” Hassan said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: In the release, Shaheen and Hassan thanked local inventor and engineer Dean Kamen for the efforts he contributed to making the coin a reality, and for all the work he does to help engage young people in the STEM fields.

So much snow, so little parking

After the state saw more than two feet of snow in many areas during last Thursday’s storm, clearing roads and parking lots seemed to take significantly longer than usual. Some schools that were holding in-person classes were closed both Thursday and Friday to allow for extra time for clean-up. And on Sunday, three days after the storm ended, downtown Concord still had little to no on-street parking.

Score: -1

Comment: While road crews were likely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of snow and did the best they could, local shop owners may have been a bit dismayed too — the lack of parking along Main Street in Concord, at least, certainly made it frustrating for QOL to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.

Bike repairs on the go

There’s a new way for the public to make minor repairs to their bikes in Manchester — a Fixit bike repair station in Bronstein Park, funded through a grant from the Granite State Wheelers, opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 18. According to a press release, Queen City Bicycle Collective worked with the City of Manchester Parks and Recreation Division to implement the Fixit station, which includes basic tools and an air pump that will help bicyclists make small repairs on the go. It’s the first one in Manchester, and the QC Bike Collective plans to have more stations installed at various locations in the city.

Score: +1

Comment: QC Bike Collective’s goal is to make biking safer and more convenient for people in Manchester, according to the release.

QOL score: 73

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 75

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

NBA blasts off

The NBA season kicked off yesterday and goes into high gear on Christmas Day. With a late start, Covid concerns, no fans and a shorter schedule it’s not a typical year filled with holiday cheer. But with the Celtics re-mixed, drama impending in Brooklyn, many exciting young players and much movement among players and coaches there are a lot of stories to keep an eye as it unfolds and here are a few of them.

The Schedule:It weirdly will be announced at two separate times. The first 40 games leading to the All-Star break in early March are out. The second half of the 72-game schedule will be announced in late February to allow for a reset to make up games lost to Covid-19 postponements. It’ll also be more like baseball with teams playing many back-to-back games in the same building two days apart. That happens for the Celtics seven times — five on the road and two at home. So the question is, will that make home court advantage no big deal with fans either not there or in lesser numbers and travel fatigue less of an issue in the back end game?

The Big Trade That Wasn’t Really a Trade:The biggest off-season trade was Milwaukee sending a whopping three first-round picks along with guards Eric Bledsoe, who can probably be flipped for a fourth and George Hill to New Orleans for point guard Jrue Holiday. While I like Holiday a lot, that’s what you call wildly overpaying. So why did they do it? Because at least two of the first-round picks were surrendered in desperation to make sure Giannis Antetokounmpo felt good enough about the Bucks to re-sign this off-season. And since he just did so in a record-breaking deal, mission accomplished. However, if the Freak wasn’t on the line, they probably get Holiday for Bledsoe and just one first, or pass on the deal if that doesn’t get it done.

Will Warriors Return to a Golden State? Good question. Depends what they get out of Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre. But with Klay Thompson out for the year again, I don’t see it, as it seems like the magic they once had is gone. Maybe for good.

Are The Celtics Better or Did They Regress? The X-factor is Kemba Walker. If he’s not healthy, no. If he is, yes, because (1) they lost the skilled Gordon Hayward, but since they got virtually nothing from him in the playoffs and still went three rounds deep it’s survivable; (2) if you added Tristan Thompson’s size, rebounding and interior defense to the 2020 playoff team would it have helped? I say yes; (3) the Jeff Teague (more polished offensively) for Brad Wanamaker (more physical defender) swap is a wash. Overall, it makes them bigger, tougher and better. Though so are Milwaukee, Brooklyn, maybe Philly and even Atlanta, so the battle isn’t easier. Plus with the massive trade exception available they’re still under construction.

Next Step for Luka: With the hype machine on full throttle expectations for Dallas star Luka Doncic couldn’t be higher. So will the amped up pressure hinder the ascension of his Larry Bird like game into a spot in the NBA’s Top 5 players?

Full Year of Zion: Thanks to a knee injury we got just a glimpse of the exciting Zion Williamson last year. I hope this year we’ll get to see him play the whole season, which will be fun.

Another Full Year of Ja Ja: Zion got all the pub but Ja Morant dazzled all year after being taken second overall by Memphis. I missed him last year, so I want to see for myself when he faces the C’s on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

James Harden Saga:His wanting to be traded has dominated the news of late, but who cares? The aforementioned Holiday deal complicates what Houston is asking on the “if Nola got that for Holiday we should get double that for Harden.” Stat Man’s not worth whatever they’re asking but I’m with Charles Barkley — if the Nets will give up Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and a first-round pick as rumored, I take it.

ESPN’s Surprises Top 100 Ranking: I wasn’t surprised seeing Jayson Tatum ranked 11th overall. But I was by Marcus Smart (34) ranked above Kemba (42), which I agree with. Throw in Jaylen Brown at 26 and it gives the C’s four in the Top 50.

Big Expectations in Brooklyn: With him appearing healthy I don’t know how you bet against Kevin Durant. But I wonder about the following. (1) With Durant becoming more thin-skinned in recent years, if things don’t go swimmingly how will he act when those New York writers turn on the team in a flash? (2) Will Steve Nash be the next great player to become a solid coach or will he join a long list who got by on previous playing deeds? (3) How long will it take Kyrie to under- mine Nash as he tried to do with Brad Stevens and did do with Kenny Atkinson?

Something I Wish the Celtics Had Done:They need a real point guard to let Kemba slide over and be a Ray Allen-like off-the-ball sniper. So instead of going for the huge trade exception in the Hayward deal with Charlotte I wish they had brought back Terry Rozier and a smaller exception. His final year in Boston wasn’t a good one. But when he started in place of Kyrie he ran the offense, played solid D and was a contributor on the boards. He’d have made them deeper and more versatile.

The Prediction: Despite losing Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, the Lakers probably got better by adding Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell. So I hate to say it, but with LeBron and AD leading, they’re the favorites to win and go (gulp) past Boston for most titles won by a franchise with 18.

Happy holidays to all.

Finding a way home

An update on homelessness in NH

The New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness released its annual State of Homelessness in New Hampshire report Dec. 17. It includes data generated between 2019 and early 2020, pre-pandemic, as well as a special report on The Intersection of Unsheltered Homelessness and Covid-19 in NH, based on semi-structured interviews with homelessness services across the state. Stephanie Allain Savard, LICSW, director of the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness, discussed some of the key points in the report.

What immediate effects has the pandemic had on homelessness in New Hampshire?

The report showed that even pre-pandemic the homeless population had risen since last year. The pandemic layered on top of that has really exacerbated the issue. … Many people who were living in shelters decided to leave because they were concerned about social distancing and didn’t feel that it was safe to be in a congregate setting. Then, there are people who were couch-surfing, jumping from one place to the next at the graces of family and friends who were willing to let them stay with them temporarily; now, they have nowhere to go because people need to isolate.

What long-term effects might it have?

When the eviction moratorium is lifted and rental assistance is no longer granted, there is going to be a wave of mass evictions. We may be able to work around the evictions if we can come up with a solution to get rental assistance … for property owners and tenants so that they can get back on track, but there are so many other aspects of the pandemic that have impacted folks, too, especially those who were already living in poverty. Stress, mental health, physical health, [challenges with] students’ academic success — these are all ripple effects for families and individuals that are going to be lingering for a long time.

There has been a lot of concern about homeless camps, a.k.a. ‘tent cities,’ popping up in New Hampshire cities. What’s happening with those?

Because the pandemic limited [homeless people’s] options for affordable housing and shelters, it was a solution they came up with to keep themselves safe. … Many people in those camps experience mental health and substance use disorders which can affect their cognitive thinking and judgment. … It’s been a bit of a tug of war, because there’s pressure from the community on law enforcement to [eliminate] these camps, and [law enforcement] understands the community’s concerns, but they also understand the situation for those who are homeless. … They’re trying to figure out what should be enforced with a humanitarian understanding that we need to support [homeless people] where they are the best that we can.

Has anything good come out of the pandemic in regards to homelessness?

It’s been wonderful to see so many partnerships get stronger or new partnerships form. Suddenly, city welfare departments, substance abuse [services], homelessness services, community mental health organizations and fire departments were all collaborating to respond to the crisis in the best way possible.

What’s the report’s Call to Action?

We’re always looking at how we can increase the production of affordable housing, and one way to continue doing that is to maintain and increase investment in the New Hampshire Affordable Housing Fund. There’s the New Hampshire Governor’s Council on Housing Stability that was just established … as a short-term action plan, and we’re working to make sure that any policies, legislations and other recommendations that come out of that are supported. [And we’re advocating for] the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Housing Support’s request for an additional $9 million a year to support emergency shelters across the state.

What can people who have stable housing do to help those who don’t?

You can volunteer. There are plenty of homeless services that could use the hands-on support, or you can find out what items they need donated, like hats and mittens and food, or make a monetary donation. … You can advocate for your legislators to address homelessness. … Also, just talking about it is really important. The more we talk about homelessness and educate ourselves about what’s happening with the homeless population, the more we can break the stigma and the cycle that we’re currently in.

State of Homelessness in New Hampshire
The state’s most recent stats, pre-pandemic. To read the full report, visit nhceh.org.
• The number of people experiencing homelessness increased 21 percent.
• The number of chronically homeless people (who have been homeless for a significant length of time) increased by 112 percent.
• Homelessness among students decreased by 19 percent.
• Sixty percent of the state’s homeless population resides outside of Manchester, and 43.5 percent resides in rural communities.
• Black/African-American and multi-racial people make up only 2.7 percent of the state’s general population but 10.2 percent of the homeless population. Hispanic/Latinx people make up 2.8 percent of the general population, 10.6 percent of the homeless population.

Featured photo: Stephanie Allain Savard, LICSW

News & Notes 20/12/24

Covid-19 updateAs of December 14As of December 21
Total cases statewide31,87537,388
Total current infections statewide6,7526,688
Total deaths statewide604656
New cases6,059 (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)5,513 (Dec. 15 to Dec. 21)
Current infections: Hillsborough County2,4532,290
Current infections: Merrimack County872929
Current infections: Rockingham County1,7221,580
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Dec. 15, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine were administered in New Hampshire to front-line health care workers, according to a press release. The state received 12,675 doses of the vaccine in the first shipment, according to the release, with more expected to continue to arrive on a weekly basis. The state is also expected to receive more than 24,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine this week, according to a Dec. 19 report from WMUR, and the doses will be received in batches throughout the week. Vaccinations from both Pfizer and Moderna will be distributed to long-term care facilities this week, according to the report.

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, reported during a Dec. 17 press conference that the state has averaged around 800 to 900 new cases of Covid-19 per day from the previous week. The day before, on Dec. 16, state health officials reported 21 deaths due to the virus, the highest single-day number of deaths in New Hampshire since the beginning of the pandemic.

Later during the same press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu provided an update on the final allotments of federal CARES act funding, which the state is required to spend in full by Dec. 31. An additional $7 million will be allocated directly to hospitals in the state, specifically those that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. “We know that a lot of hospitals have had to give up certain elective procedures, elective surgeries … to make sure that the beds are there,” Sununu said. “That $7 million, combined with additional over $70 million that the federal government is also allocating … creates a lot of economic opportunity for hospitals and doctors that have really been hard hit by this.” Sununu also said an additional $4 million will be allocated to the state’s university system to offset some unanticipated testing capacity costs, as well as $12 million allocated to nonprofit organizations. “We’ve spent it down almost to the penny, frankly,” he said of the federal funds. “The team at GOFERR did a great job of making sure that we had emergency funds available all the way to the end of the year.”

Speaker nomination

Last week, the House Republican Caucus voted to nominate Acting House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) as its nominee for Speaker of the House, to succeed the late Speaker Richard “Dick” Hinch, according to a press release. The nomination will be decided on Jan. 6. “Losing Speaker Hinch has been difficult for all of us, and this is not my first choice of how I wanted this session to go,” Packard said in a statement following the vote. “However, we must continue our work, we must continue his work, and I promise that I will continue to further Dick’s vision of how he would have run the House.”

Money for vets

The City of Manchester is encouraging veterans who have needs that are directly related to Covid-19 to reach out to Easterseals, which still has CARES Act funds remaining for military veterans. All funds must be spent by the end of December, according to a press release, and veterans who need assistance because of Covid-19, including help with mortgage and rental arrearages, car repairs, back car payments, utilities, food, gas, childcare arrangements, heating costs and more, can contact Easterseals at 315-4354 or mvsintake@eastersealsnh.org.

Low unemployment

Last week’s release of the November unemployment rates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that New Hampshire ranked as the fifth lowest state in the nation, with an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, according to a press release. “Balancing public health and economic success has been a priority of my administration from the onset of this pandemic,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release. “This latest economic news affirms that New Hampshire has taken the right approach and that our economy will come back stronger than ever as we near the end of this pandemic.”

Housing stability plan

The state’s new Council on Housing Stability finalized its initial report and action plan and sent it to Gov. Chris Sununu on Dec. 11, according to a press release. Sununu said in a statement that the council has created “an excellent foundation” for the state to begin updating its homelessness plan. He instructed state agencies to move forward with all recommendations that can be taken immediately through executive action, which includes applying for a federal waiver to support services that assist individuals and families in obtaining housing by May 1.

Changes at SNHU

Southern New Hampshire University announced last week new plans for its campus-based programs that it says will be more flexible, accessible and affordable — including a more than 50-percent reduction from its current tuition rate. According to a press release, SNHU will launch new and updated campus academic programs next fall, with greater emphasis on experiential and project-based learning. It will also move from merit-based to need-based financial aid awards, and a tiered tuition rate of just $15,000 or $10,000 per year. Starting in the fall of 2021, there will be more than 50 on-campus programs available. The $15,000 programs will feature face-to-face instruction, with flexibility to explore electives, internships, project-based courses, service learning, study abroad, and other experiential learning elements. The $10,000 programs will include at least 36 credits earned through required experiential learning components such as studio work, lab work, project-based courses, internships or certifications, and the remaining credits will be delivered in a mix of face-to-face classroom settings and online formats. There will be less time in traditional classroom settings, and faculty will be engaging with students in new ways, including as project leads, internship advisors and coaches. These programs are open to new, first-year students and rising sophomores. “This effort is the culmination of years of hard work to fundamentally reimagine a broken model that too often leaves students behind,” President and CEO Paul LeBlanc said in the release. “When we set out to radically reduce the cost of place-based higher education, we knew that it would require a holistic approach, and we are proud of the work our teams have done tirelessly during the pandemic to rethink the cost and delivery of our campus model to put higher education within reach for more learners.” SNHU is also aiming to increase campus enrollment from 3,000 students to 4,500 students by 2025, according to the release.

The First Congregational Church in Manchester is leaving its lights on from dusk to dawn, now through Sunday, Dec. 27, to showcase the recent renovation of its stained glass windows. According to a press release, the windows of the 1880 church are the culmination of a year-long restoration project, and the public is welcome to drive by and see them lit up. The church is located on the corner of Hanover and Union streets.

Rivier University in Nashua has been ranked as a top 100 school for nursing in the nation and as the top private nursing school in New Hampshire, according to a press release. The rankings come from the Nursing School Almanac, which evaluated more than 3,000 U.S. nursing schools.

Work has begun on a new 6,900-square-foot testing and engineering range at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping. According to a press release from North Branch Construction, construction of the pre-engineered steel building is expected to be completed in late spring.

Giving thanks in a tough year

2020 is not going silently into the night. It’s going out kicking and screaming. And let’s not be nice about this: 2020 has been a brutal year for everyone. More than 500 Granite Staters have passed away from Covid, people have lost their livelihoods, whole industries have been torn apart, families have been separated, kids have been unschooled, and to top it all off we went through one of the most divisive elections in modern times with federal agencies actually warning about possible election-related civil unrest. I mean, come on. It’s no wonder people are drinking a bit more. Yes, beer, wine and liquor sales are up in New Hampshire.

But even in these challenging times there are things to be thankful for.

As fraught as the election was (and could still be, I guess) there wasn’t any violence. The day after most signs were down and people here were back to their daily lives. Is everyone happy? No. But most have moved on to their lives.

As bad as Covid has been, it could have been worse. New Hampshire has largely been successful in tamping down outbreaks, keeping the number of hospitalizations low and balancing the needs of people to move about with the needs of our medical system to combat the virus. Any loss of life is horrific.

While many local businesses (including us) and nonprofits have seen revenues plunge, many other businesses have seen surging demand. Everything from ATVs to swimming pools to builders to takeout pizza has seen strong revenue in 2020.

Unemployment rates have continued to fall. New Hampshire’s rate is now under 5 percent from a high of almost 17 percent in April. That does reflect some people leaving the workforce but it also reflects other jobs in other industries picking up the slack.

New Hampshire showed the country it was truly bipartisan by splitting results with Republicans dominating statewide races and Democrats dominating federal races. More than that, 75 percent of eligible voters voted — a modern record level of voting. And yes, folks, we do live in a democracy. We should also be thankful for that.

There is less traffic — just saying.

Folks in New Hampshire continue to be generous with their time and money in assisting and donating to local nonprofits. While many nonprofits that rely on in-person services have seen revenues decline others have seen people be more generous. It made the news recently that MacKenzie Scott (author, philanthropist and former wife of Jeff Bezos) gave more than $6 million to New Hampshire nonprofits.

Hundreds of Hippo readers have sent in financial contributions this year to support Hippo. We can’t say thank you enough.

As much as we want 2021 to be better than 2020, and I’m hopeful it will be, the road back to normal will be slower than we want. But there is a road back and for that I’m very thankful.

New Year’s eatings

Delicious ways to ring in 2021

Let’s face it — 2020 wasn’t the year any of us hoped for. So if you’re looking forward to ringing in 2021, check out this list of local restaurants offering special dine-in or takeout menus to help you celebrate.

• Amphora (55 Crystal Ave., No. 3, Derry, 537-0111, amphoranh.com) will serve a special prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 3 to 9 p.m., featuring one of two appetizers of your choice (double cream goat cheese in a pool of lamb sauce with chiffonade basil and pita chips, or shrimp cocktail with a spicy sauce); antipasto salad; an entree of your choice (deconstructed Beef Wellington or seafood risotto with a creamy Parmesan mushroom sauce); and a dessert (chocolate mousse or Champagne and berries). The cost is $46 per person (optional wine pairings are available) and reservations are encouraged. Amphora’s full menu will also be available for takeout and dine-in until 3 p.m.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31.

• Ashworth by the Sea (295 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, 926-6762, ashworthhotel.com) will host a socially distanced New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. featuring party favors, a Champagne toast, rock ’n’ roll bingo and more. Overnight packages with a Champagne and mimosa breakfast on New Year’s Day are also available.

• Bad Lab Beer Co. (460 High St., Somersworth, 842-5822, badlabbeer.com) will serve its third annual New Year’s Day brunch on Friday, Jan. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are currently being accepted with an hour-and-a-half time slot for each.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a four-course prix fixe dinner for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., in its dining room. The menu will feature appetizers (lobster bisque, yellowfin tuna poke, braised beef cheek, New England oysters, capon terrine, and warm Maplebrook Farm burrata); salads (baby kale and watercress salad, or Boston bibb and radicchio salad); entrees (grilled filet mignon, smoked New Bedford sea scallops, grass-fed lamb rack, pan-seared salmon, Northern lobster risotto, pork chop, or pierogi and fall vegetables); and desserts (Earl Grey cheesecake, lemon verbena creme brulee, strawberry Champagne sorbet, ginger pear torte or mudslide cake). The cost is $75 per person and reservations are required.

• Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com) will open at 11 a.m. on both Thursday, Dec. 31, and Friday, Jan. 1, serving its full menu with family-style options also available.

• Buba Noodle Bar (36 Lowell St., Manchester, 935-7864, bubanoodle.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, and from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Cafe El Camino (134 Newton Road, Plaistow, 974-1652, cafeelcamino.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty “crowd pleaser platters,” including empanada platters, rice platters, chicken or pork platters and more. Orders must be picked up by Thursday, Dec. 31, at 3 p.m.

• Cask & Vine (1½ E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31. Deposits of $25 per party are being accepted, which will be applied to your bill for the evening and will include a Champagne toast at midnight.

• Cava Tapas & Wine Bar (10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth, 319-1575, cavatapasandwinebar.com) will serve a special four-course menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, with multiple options to choose from, like yellowfin tuna poke, butternut squash soup, farro and golden raisin salad, crisp pork belly, foie gras, beef short rib, Parisian herb gnocchi, crisp Brussels sprouts, pistachio cake, dulce de leche, dark chocolate pot de creme and more. Reservations are required.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will hold a special New Year’s Eve wine dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring a six-course meal with wine pairings, live music and more. Items to be served will include foie gras torchon, New Hampshire oysters, Moroccon-spiced rack of lamb, seared sea scallops, and petite rabbit and mushroom cassoulet. The cost is $180 per person. Overnight packages with a complimentary Champagne brunch are also available.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will serve a special prix fixe dinner for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, beginning at 4 p.m., with live music from 6 to 9 p.m. Costs vary depending on the courses you choose ($69 for a two-course meal, $79 for a three-course meal and $89 for a four-course meal). Featured options include herb-crusted scallops, truffled mushroom risotto, fish chowder, wild mushroom bisque, braised lamb shank, sesame-crusted tuna, crispy honey chicken, seafood casserole, roasted vegetable ravioli, caramel apple pie and chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Reservations are highly recommended and will be accepted through 8 p.m.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for heat-and-serve eggroll party platters for New Year’s Eve, featuring flavors like steak and cheese, chicken Parm and eggplant Parm, as well as various dipping sauces. Order by Dec. 27.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will be serving its regular menu on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m., with special additions that will include an appetizer, a salad, two entrees and two desserts, all priced a la carte.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) will serve its regular dinner menu, with holiday specials, on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

• Flannel Tavern (345 Suncook Valley Road, Chichester, 406-1196, flanneltavern.com) will ring in the new year in style with classic cocktails from the Rat Pack era. Join them on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 5 p.m. to midnight for a special menu, a charcuterie board, live music and a Champagne toast. The cost is $10 per person. Formal dress is encouraged but not required.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) is taking orders for holiday variety boxes for New Year’s, which feature your choice of smoked pork rack chop with apple chutney, garlic roasted prime rib with au jus and horseradish cream, or seafood lasagna, with sides like sweet and Yukon gold whipped potatoes, traditional stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts. Order by Dec. 28 at noon. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, from noon to 5 p.m.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is taking reservations now for a special New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Course options will include charred broccoli and ricotta tortellini, turkey roulade, cast iron roasted rib-eye, pan seared scallops, pink Champagne macarons, chocolate Yule logs and more. The cost is $89 per person, or $120 per person with an optional wine pairing. Reservations with a 50 percent deposit are required.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) is taking orders for New Year’s Eve catering packages available in two sizes, feeding six to eight people, or 12 to 14 people. Each package includes an artisan cheese and charcuterie display, bacon-wrapped scallops, coconut shrimp, pesto Parmesan arancini, curried chicken salad, phyllo cups and beef tenderloin canape. Optional wine add-ons are also available. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. LaBelle is also taking reservations for a New Year’s Eve Experience dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring sparkling wine and smoked salmon salad with seared sea scallop and winter citrus vinaigrette as a specialty first course.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurant.com) will serve a multi-course meal for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring your choice of an entree (sliced roasted tenderloin of beef, duck grand marnier, nut-crusted chicken, chicken pesto, pork Dijonnaise, wienerschnitzel, vegetarian acorn squash, baked stuffed Jumbo shrimp, baked stuffed scrod or maple glazed salmon); and a dessert (chocolate mousse cake, flourless chocolate cake, bourbon bread pudding, cheesecake, lemon mascarpone cake, sorbet or tiramisu cake). All dinners come with appetizers like New England clam chowder, Swedish meatballs and a fresh fruit plate with sorbet (or you can substitute for shrimp cocktail, escargots and onion soup gratinee) and a Caesar or garden salad. Entrees also include your choice of a baked potato, Swiss potato or rice pilaf, and your choice of butternut squash, pickled beets or applesauce.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Otis (4 Front St., Exeter, 580-1705, otisrestaurant.com) has limited space available for a special five-course dinner with Champagne for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and reservations are required.

• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) is taking reservations for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, beginning at 4 p.m. Various specials will be served, like creamy baked potato soup, crabmeat stuffed mushroom, baked seafood casserole, a roast beef dinner with oven-roasted winter vegetables, and several wines and desserts.

• Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery (67 State St., Portsmouth, 427-8459, raleighwinebar.com) will serve a socially distanced New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings at either 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. The dinner will feature four courses with optional wine pairings and is $85 per person.

• The Red Arrow Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) takes orders for its homemade cakes and pies at all of its locations. Flavors include apple, blueberry, pumpkin, chocolate cream, brownie cream and more. Online orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance of pickups.

• Roundabout Diner & Lounge (580 Route 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, 431-1440, roundaboutdiner.com) will host a “Social Distance Social” New Year’s Eve comedy show on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.). Tickets start at $119 per couple and include a Champagne toast and dinner for two, with a shared appetizer, two entrees and two homemade desserts. Tickets of $199 per couple also include an overnight stay at the Best Western Hotel next door.

• Stones Social (449 Amherst St., Nashua, 943-7445, stonessocial.com) will serve a special menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, available for takeout, delivery or dine-in. Items include Thai wings, pork dumplings, mushroom ramen, Asian short rib, spicy edamame, tempura shrimp, vegetable fried rice and a few specialty cocktails, like a pomegranate sparkler and a creamsicle martini. Reservations are recommended for dine-in.

• Surf (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m.• T-Bones Great American Eatery (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100; 404 S. Main St., Concord, 715-1999; 39 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677; 1182 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-7800; 311 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-3444; t-bones.com) is taking orders for ready-to-heat and ready-to-make meal packs for New Year’s Eve, which include two Lunetta Prosecco Splits, espinaca and chips, sesame chicken, vegetable stir-fry, Korean barbecue lettuce wraps, brownie bites and chocolate chip cookies, plus a set of two 2021 party hats, beads and horns. Order by Dec. 28. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, from noon to 3 p.m.

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