Tag: 210121

The Weekly Dish 21/01/21

News from the local food scene

• Soup’s on: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester) will host a drive-thru soup fest on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with orders being accepted now through Jan. 26. The menu includes homemade soups like fasolada (Mediterranean white bean soup) and avgolemono (Greek egg lemon rice soup), as well as spinach pita, baklava, koulourakia (crisp braided butter cookies) and finikia (honey walnut cookies dipped in honey syrup). Ordering online in advance is required. Event is pickup only and attendees are asked to stay in their cars. Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org.

• Simple stir frys: Chef Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast in Hollis will hold a livestreamed virtual knife skills class on Sunday, Jan. 24, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Using three cameras in her kitchen studio, Barbour will lead participants step by step on how to chop, slice, dice and mince ingredients for a stir fry, which she will then demonstrate at the end of the class. The cost is $25 per person and a link to a list of ingredients, equipment and recipes for the class will be provided to registrants. Barbour also has other upcoming virtual classes in February — learn to make 20-minute sheet pan dinners with her on Feb. 8, and how to prepare chicken stock for soups on Feb. 21. Visit thecreativefeast.com.

• Concord winter market finds a temporary home: The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market has returned to an in-person format on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon as of Jan. 16. According to co-organizer Shelley Morley, the market is inside the Families in Transition building at 20 S. Main St., next to the Concord Food Co-op, with free parking available in the Storrs Street parking garage. The 20 vendors will be spaced out to allow for social distancing, and the number of shoppers at one time will be limited. Morley said the location is a temporary home for the market as it awaits approval to launch a new space on Storrs Street. Online pre-ordering through harvesttomarket.com is also still an option for shoppers. Follow the market on Facebook @downtownconcordwinterfarmersmarket.

• On the canned wagon: Hermit Woods Winery & Deli in Meredith is now offering four of its products in recyclable cans: Petite Blue, sparkling Winnipesaukee rosé and Dolgo sparkling heirloom crabapple wines, as well as its Hermit hard cranberry apple cider, according to a press release. Hermit Woods co-founder Bob Manley said the canned releases are not intended to replace bottles, but rather to give customers another choice. “Considering our winery is located a few hundred yards from … [Lake] Winnipesaukee, we are frequented all summer long by folks arriving by boat,” Manley said in a statement. “We felt cans were the perfect way … to enjoy our products while experiencing the great outdoors.” Hermit Woods joins several other local wine producers like LaBelle Winery, Moonlight Meadery and Sap House Meadery in starting canned wine sales. According to the release, the winery hopes to expand its canned product line in the future. Visit hermitwoods.com.

Treasure Hunt 21/01/21

Dear Donna,

Might you be able to suggest a good reference document or catalogue for Lionel Antique Trains (1950s)?

Louis

Dear Louis,

I’m sharing your email with readers because it’s a good question.

I think that with access to the internet you can find out any pricing and information you would need. Using several different searches for pricing should help narrow things down.

There are several price guides still available to purchase online and they can be a great source for information and prices. Sometimes, though, they aren’t accurate to the selling market today. So my last suggestion is to have someone who deals in toys, trains, etc. take a look at them for you. They should be up to date on the current selling market for trains and parts.

If you need further assistance please email me and I can provide you with a local referral.

Winter survival

Help your plants make it through winter

If you are like me, you buy new perennials, trees and shrubs every year. Most plants sold locally are hardy, but not all. It’s good to know the “zone hardiness” of plants before you buy them, and how the zone maps work. In a nutshell, the colder the climatic zone, the lower the number.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has created maps showing the climatic zones of all states and regions. They are based on many years of temperature records, and rate each zone according to the coldest average temperatures in each zone. Summer temperatures are not considered in creating the hardiness zones.

Each zone covers a 10-degree range of temperatures. The coldest zone in New England is Zone 3, which includes places where temperatures each winter range between minus 40 and minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Some maps include an “a” and “b” designation to further describe the zones. An “a” is 5 degrees colder than a “b.” So Zone 4a is minus 25 to minus 30, and 4b is minus 20 to minus 25.

Trees and perennial plants that survive in Zone 4, which includes much of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, should be hardy to minus 30 degrees, though we often only see minus 20 degrees. Zone 5 is minus 20 to minus 10, Zone 6 covers areas where temperatures range between minus 10 and zero, and Zone 7, which includes much of Rhode Island, temperatures only drop down to zero or 10 degrees above.

All that said, you can grow perennials, trees and shrubs that are not rated to be hardy in your zone. The key is to get them well-established before winter arrives and to provide them with growing conditions that are optimal: sun, soil and moisture levels that correspond to their needs. You probably cannot grow perennials and woodies that are rated for two zones warmer than yours, but one zone is generally possible.

Some trees and shrubs will survive in a colder zone but might not bloom every year. Or ever, for that matter. Here in Zone 4, old-fashioned wisteria vines that do well in Connecticut or Rhode Island will survive but their flower buds (which are set the summer before) are spoiled by our cold, so they do not bloom.

Harvey Buchite of Rice Creek Gardens in Blaine, Minnesota, wanted a wisteria that would bloom in his Zone 4 gardens. He was given a seedling on his wedding day 34 years ago, one started from a seed of a fairly tough hybrid. His turned out to be a wonder vine, and he named it the Blue Moon Wisteria and sold it for many years. It blooms reliably after winter temperatures of 30 below. The reason for its success? Blue Moon, unlike most other wisteria, blooms on shoots grown in the current season — on new wood.

I called Harvey Buchite in 2006 and he reported that even after hard winters it will bloom, and often three times each summer. I’ve had one since 2004 and get a very nice set of blooms each year around the Fourth of July. It usually re-blooms a little in the fall. Others have been developed since then that will bloom in Zone 4, including “Amethyst Falls,” which I grow and like even better.

Survival rates in a cold winter can be improved by mulching the roots of your delicate or borderline-hardy plants. I bought a Japanese andromeda this year, even though it is only hardy to Zone 5. In the fall I spread a thick layer of leaves around the base to keep the roots warm as winter approached. I could have used bark chips instead, which is also a good mulch.

Trees and shrubs extend their roots in the fall up until the ground freezes, and I wanted my little shrub to grow as big a root system as possible. And later, when temperatures drop to minus 20 and below, I wanted to keep the roots protected.

That andromeda was loaded with flower buds when I bought it. I may wrap it with burlap or landscape fabric to protect those blossoms from harsh winter winds, though I haven’t yet. In the long run it will have to survive on its own — I have too many plants to fuss over them all every year. The first year is always the most important — once established, plants are tougher.

Sometimes freezing and thawing of the ground will push a plant up and part way out of the soil. This allows roots to be exposed to the air, freezing and dehydrating. That is almost always lethal. But this usually only happens the first winter after planting. Check new plants after a thaw, and if a plant has popped up, push it back down and mulch it well.

Wrapping shrubs or small trees with burlap or a synthetic, breathable cloth will help to protect flower buds from desiccation and dieback. I find roses in my climate often are badly burned by winter winds, but I rarely do anything to protect them. I just cut back the roses to green wood in April or May, and they bloom nicely. I cut back a nice double red “Knockout” rose to the ground this past spring, and it rewarded me with dozens of blossoms all summer, starting in June.

I do lose some plants to winter conditions most years, but don’t feel bad about that. As I see it, I learn something each time one dies, and losing one plant means I can try a new one! Or, if a particularly loved plant does not survive in one location, I may buy another and plant in a different spot.

Henry’s book, Organic Gardening (not just) in the Northeast: A Hands-On, Month-by-Month Guide has been re-printed and will be shipped to people who ordered it soon.

Featured Photo: Blue Moon wisteria blooms on new wood, so is not bothered by cold winters. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 21/01/21

Family fun for the weekend

Planes and iBOTs

Take a hike

Beaver Brook Association is offering a Kids Fitness Hiking Club that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for four weeks, starting Tuesday, Jan. 26. The hikes run from 3:45 to 5 p.m. and are open to students in grades 4 through 8. These “vigorous” hikes explore the trails of the Beaver Brook campus at 117 Ridge Road in Hollis. Students will also learn a bit about hiking and survival basics and play some trail games. Masks are required when meeting in a circle but may be removed during the hikes when physical distancing is possible. The cost is $120. Visit beaverbrook.org or call 465-7787.

New Hampshire’s Audubon centers are still closed, but their sanctuary trails are open for families who want to get outside and safely enjoy nature. There are miles of trails at the center in Concord (84 Silk Farm Road, 224-9909) and in Auburn (26 Audubon Way, 668-2045). The trails are open from dawn until dusk. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Or take a family walk throughAmerica’s Stonehenge (105 Haverhill Road, Salem, 893-8300, stonehengeusa.com), a 4,000-year-old stone construction that was built by ancient people as an astronomical calendar to determine solar and lunar events of the year. Take a tour (mostly outdoors) and learn about the site, which was also used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Kids can dig for gemstones with tools used by real archaeologists, and interactive tools are now available, including a free audio tour that parents can download to their smartphones. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entrance at 3 p.m.). Admission rates are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors age 65 and up, $7.50 for kids ages 5 through 12, and free for kids age 4 and under.

Hit the ice

Your guide to skating outside

A month into winter, outdoor ice skating rinks across the state are open for the season.

Local rinks

Local cities and towns like Manchester, Concord, Nashua, Bow, Merrimack and Hopkinton have outdoor rinks that are free and open to residents and non-residents.

The rinks may be open on and off, depending on the temperatures, so be sure to call or check your city’s or town’s website or social media before you go. Matthew Casparius, director of Merrimack Parks & Recreation, said temperatures must stay below 32 degrees consistently for the ice at Merrimack’s rink at Watson Park to freeze.

“Ice conditions can vary greatly with a temperature change as small as a few degrees,” he said. “If it doesn’t get cold or stay cold, then the rink season may be shortened.”

The rinks are skate-at-your-own-risk. Skaters are asked to stay off the ice if the rink is closed, and to practice common-sense Covid-19 safety measures while on the ice.

“We don’t really regulate it, but obviously people should maintain social distance, and masks are recommended,” said Janet Horvath, Manchester’s recreation and enterprise manager.

“Anyone that is showing symptoms of Covid-19 or has been exposed to Covid-19 should not visit the facility until they have been cleared by a medical professional,” Casparius added.

That’s especially important since skating so far this season seems to be a popular idea.

“This year, with a focus on outdoor activities as being safer for all, there has been more interest in skating than ever before,” said Veronica Lester, director of marketing for Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, home to Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond.

Puddle Duck Pond is approximately 12,500 square feet, “75 percent of the size of a standard hockey rink,” she said. With an admission fee of $12, it features amenities like an outdoor patio and food truck on weekends; services including ice skate rentals and sharpening; rink rentals for private events; and skating lessons for kids and adults.

The perfect skates

Dave Palisi, owner of Capital Sporting Goods in Concord, which sells new and used pond or recreational skates and hockey skates, shared some tips for buying your first pair of skates.

If you plan on going ice skating on any kind of regular basis, Palisi said, it’s worth it to buy your own skates. Owning your own skates allows you to skate anywhere rather than being limited to rinks that offer skate rentals, and your skates are going to fit better and be more comfortable than rentals.

“You aren’t going to get a good fit with a pair of rented skates because you don’t get properly fitted when you’re renting. They just give you skates based on your shoe size,” he said. “That’s fine if all you’re looking to do is get into a pair of skates so you can spend a half hour skating, then take them off and be done.”

If you decide to buy your own skates, getting professionally fitted in person at a local shop that sells skates is the only way to ensure that you’re buying skates in the right size, Palisi said, adding that he would “recommend 110 percent not buying skates online.”

“I can’t emphasize enough the fitting process and how important it is,” he said. “If you put the time and effort into getting fitted correctly, you know it’s going to fit and that it’s going to perform the best for you.”

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to buying skates, Palisi said, is buying skates that are the same size as their regular shoe size.

“People think they know what size they need, but shoe sizes and skate sizes are totally different,” he said.

Another common misconception is that the best-fitting skates are the skates that are more expensive and higher-quality.

“You do not need to spend a lot of money,” Palisi said. “You’re better off buying a cheaper skate that is properly fit.”

A good-fitting skate should be tight against the foot. If the skates are “loose and floppy” and have enough space inside for your feet to move around, that will lead to soreness and discomfort, Palisi said.

For the best possible fit, you can get heat moldable skates. Palisi said Capital Sporting Goods and most specialty skate shops have a special “oven” that can “bake” the moldable skates. Once the skates are heated up, you wear them for 15 minutes or so, creating a custom mold around your feet.

If you’re trying to decide what type of skates to buy, Palisi recommends hockey skates for beginners, as opposed to figure skates. The blade on figure skates is fully exposed, with a squared-off tail on the end and a jagged “pick” at the toe. The blade on hockey skates is inset in a plastic holder and is smooth and slightly curved on both ends. To slow down or stop on hockey skates, the skater rotates their leg and scrapes the ice with the flat edge of the skate, whereas on figure skates, the skater uses the pick to push off and stop, which Palisi said is more challenging and takes some practice.

“If you don’t know what the toe pick on figure skates is or know anything about how to use it, just don’t even go there,” he said. “You don’t need to. Just go with a hockey skate.”

If you’re only skating outdoors, Palisi said, it’s futile to get your skates sharpened more than once a season.

“All the sand and grit on outdoor ice is going to ruin your sharpening, and there’s just nothing you can do about it,” he said, “but as long as you’re staying outdoors, [sharpening] is not a big need.”

Build a backyard rink

Building your own backyard rink is a great way to get in more skating time this winter while maintaining social distance.

“There are lots of backyard rinks right now,” Palisi said.

First, he said, find an area of level ground and decide how large you want your rink to be.

Then, go to a hardware or home improvement store and get a sheet of plastic for the base of the rink, and boards to enclose it.

“Just tell the people at the store that you’re looking for some liner to make a backyard rink, and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about,” Palisi said, adding that some stores also sell complete backyard rink kits.

Another perk of building your own rink is that it doesn’t require as much freezing as public ponds do, so you can still skate even when the public ponds are closed.

“Ponds are deeper, so there needs to be several inches of ice,” Palisi said, “but if you make a backyard rink with just one or two inches of water, you don’t need it to be as cold for as long.”

To maintain your rink simply hose it down after each use at night when temperatures are freezing.

“It’ll smooth out overnight and be ready for the next day,” Palisi said.

Guided forest bathing walks
Not all rinks may be open. The open/closed status of the rinks can change from week to week depending on the temperatures. Call or check the city’s or town’s website or social media for the most recent information.
• Beaver Meadow Pond, at Beaver Meadow Golf Course, 1 Beaver Meadow Dr., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/1410/winter-activities. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.
• Bow Town Pond, next to the Bow Community Center, 3 Bow Center Road, Bow, 223-3920, bow-nh.com/256/Parks-Recreation.
• Dorrs Pond, adjacent to Livingston Park, 56 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.
• Four Corners, behind Holman Stadium, Sargent Avenue, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov/1464/ice-skating-rink–seasonal. When open, hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. for general skating, and before 11 a.m. and between 4:30 and 6 p.m. for hockey.
• Ice Skating Rink at Watson Park, 441 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 882-1046, merrimackparksandrec.org/watson-park. When open, hours are daily from dawn to 9 p.m.
• Jeff Morin Fields at Roby Park, 126 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. When open, hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for general skating, and from 8 to 10 p.m. for hockey.
• Kimball Lake, 47 Kimball Lake Road, Hopkinton, 746-8263, hopkintonrec.com/info/activities. When open, hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond, at Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, 422-0600, strawberybanke.org/skate.cfm. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission costs $12 for skaters age 5 and up. Skate rentals are available for $6, and skate sharpening is available for $7.
• Rollins Park, 116 Broadway St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/1410/winter-activities. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.
• White Park Pond & Hockey Rink,1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/1410/winter-activities. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.

Buy skates
Here are some local shops selling ice skates.
• Capital Sporting Goods, 276 N. State St., Concord, 224-6921, capitalsportinggoods.com
• TSR Hockey, 5 Kelly Road, Salem, 898-7777, tsrhockey.com

Featured Photo: Labrie Family Skate at Strawbery Banke Museum’s Puddle Dock Pond in Portsmouth. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 21/01/21

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

Art by Roberta Woolfson, on display at Creative Ventures Gallery. Courtesy photo.

• Palace goes virtual: The Palace Theatre in Manchester presents a new virtual series of live streamed performances, starting with The All New Piano Men, a tribute to Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Elton John, Barry Manilow, Freddie Mercury and other music legends, on Friday, Jan. 22. On Friday, Jan. 29, it’s the Palace Teen Company Takeover show, where teens will perform their dream Broadway roles. Professional singers and dancers from New York City will perform Palace artistic director Carl Rajotte’s original musical Divas through the Decades, a tribute to Etta James, Gloria Estefan, Tina Turner, Madonna and other female vocalists of American pop music on Friday, Feb. 5. Finally, My Mixtape: The Sounds of the 80s will pay tribute to Queen, Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon, Journey, Pat Benatar and other 80s favorites on Friday, Feb. 19. All shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Call 668-5588 or visit palacetheatre.org.

• Classical for social justice: The Concord Chorale will present a free virtual concert, “When the Night is Furthest Worn,” with showtimes on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. “This concert is our effort to bring choral music to our audience during the pandemic,” Chorale president BJ Entwisle said. “We are really excited that we have continued to sing together and can now share our work with our greater community of music lovers.” Under the direction of Jenny Cooper, the concert will feature pieces that emphasize social justice and equal rights, including the preamble of A Choral Quilt of Hope, with music by Adrienne Albert and the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adapted by Susan Suntree. The Chorale will also perform Non Nobis, Domine by Rosephanye Powell; Bogoroditse Devo by Sergei Rachmaninov; My Heart be Brave with music by Marques L.A. Garrett set to the poem “Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson; and Sure on this Shining Night by Morten Lauridsen. Collaborative pianist Molly Lozeau will play several short classical pieces by African American composers. The concert will run about 30 minutes, and a recording will be available to view for free all year. Donations will be accepted. Visit concordchorale.org.

• Memoir on stage: New Hampshire Theatre Project’s new play development program SoloStage presents Where Do I Begin? from Jan. 22 through Jan. 24, in person (theater at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth) and online, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The new 75-minute, one-woman play written and performed by Stephanie S. Lazenby is based on Lazenby’s formative years, growing up as an only child in New Rochelle, New York. Tickets cost $30 for in-person shows and $20 for virtual shows. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org.

• New art on display: Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) has a new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in person and online. “Promoting the work of local artists has long been my goal,” gallery owner Betsy Craumer said in a press release, “and I am pleased to finally be able [to use] technology to launch this step in the process.” Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.

• Toadstool Bookshops awarded: The New Hampshire Retail Association has named The Toadstool Bookshops its 2021 New Hampshire Retailer of the Year, according to a press release from the Association. Owned by Holly and Willard Williams, Jeff Osgood and Lowell Morris, The Toadstool has locations in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. The award recognizes retailers in the state that achieved excellence in creativity, customer service, commitment to the community and work environment. “The Toadstool Bookshops are known for their customer focused attitude and employee retention, are an integral part of their communities and are always willing to sponsor and host events such as pickleball tournaments and poetry readings,” the press release said. “[They] are an excellent example of a New Hampshire family business and very deserving of this recognition.” Visit retailnh.com.

• Call for art: The New Hampshire Art Association is accepting artwork submissions for its 35th annual Omer T. Lassonde juried exhibition. This year’s theme is “Beyond the Boundaries.” NHAA members and non-members are invited to submit one to three pieces in any medium. The online submission deadline is Friday, Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. Cash prizes of $1,000, $750 and $500 will be awarded to the top three submissions. The annual exhibit honors Omer T. Lassonde, who helped found NHAA in 1940 to exhibit the work of contemporary artists throughout the state. It will run March 31 through May 30 at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and online, with a virtual opening reception and awards ceremony planned for Thursday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Quality of Life 21/01/21

It’s cookie time!

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains have officially kicked off Girl Scout cookie season, with online cookie ordering available Feb. 1 in case you don’t know any Girl Scouts. According to a press release, the Scouts will also host a few in-person cookie booths across New Hampshire Feb. 12 through March 22, following all pandemic safety restrictions possible.

Score: +1

Comment: New this year, GrubHub is working with local Girl Scouts to safely get cookies to customers. According to the release, in areas where GrubHub operates, customers will be able to order Girl Scout cookies for pickup or delivery through GrubHub. The Girl Scouts will learn to track and fulfill orders, manage inventory and more, and GrubHub is waiving its fees for the Scouts so that all sales proceeds will still go to the troops and the Girl Scout Council.

Happy ending for rescued animals

Seventeen months after the Humane Society for Greater Nashua and the Hudson Police Department rescued 30 animals from a home in Hudson, those animals — cats, guinea pigs, chickens and rabbits — have been released from protective custody and become the property of the Humane Society. According to a press release, now that the court case regarding the Aug. 13, 2019, rescue has come to a close, the Humane Society can provide veterinary services and help the animals find permanent homes.

Score: +1

Comment: To learn more about the rescued animals that are available for adoption, call 889-2275 or email katie@hsfn.org.

Motorcycle Week history lost in a fire

The Laconia Motorcycle Week Association announced last week that a fire in its offices on Christmas morning resulted in the loss of collectibles and souvenirs from the event’s 97-year history, and its office cat, Ashland, died in the fire. As of last week the Association was still waiting for permission to enter the site of the fire to retrieve Ashland for a proper burial, according to the announcement. The cost of fire clean-up is estimated at $40,000, and a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the nonprofit cover those costs and other expenses related to the fire.

Score: -2

Comment: The Association is asking anyone who might have memorabilia from any of the past 97 Motorcycle Weeks to consider donating them to help rebuild the history that was lost in the fire.

Serving those who served us

Evan Dexter, a seventh-grade student at the Founders Academy Public Charter School in Manchester, recently donated 500 canteen books to the Manchester VA Medical Center, according to a press release. The books include pre-paid vouchers that patients and residents can use in the center’s store. Dexter is a Son of the American Legion Henry J. Sweeney Post 2, where his grandfather is a member. Canteen books were also donated to the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton and the White River Junction VA Hospital in Vermont.

Score: +1

Comment: “I think it’s good to serve veterans because they served us,” Dexter said in the release.

QOL score: 53

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 54

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

This week’s big stories

News Item: Inmates Running The Asylum

Doug Pederson loses a showdown with his owner because he wanted rookie Jalen Hurts to be Eagles QB going forward while owner Jeffrey Lurie wanted crybaby demoted starter Carson Wentz. So Pederson is out as head coach in the city that isn’t happy unless it’s unhappy three years after winning a Super Bowl without Wentz because the owner wants him despite reports he’s selfish and totally un-coachable. In Houston QB Deshaun Watson wants out over not being involved in selecting the Texans’ new head coach. Which might make normal people ask, who would be the boss, Watson or the head coach? Again in Houston, where there must be something in the water, overweight and out of shape James Harden just forced his way out of town because the team “wasn’t good enough,” to join the Nets for a ridiculous cost to the new franchise. And the team he joins in Brooklyn is dealing with Kyrie Irving missing five games because he didn’t feel like playing after the attack on the U.S. Capitol. That Irving didn’t have the courtesy to let new coach Steve Nash know he’d miss the first one until just before game time is par for the course of his beyond belief sense of entitlement. Which comes on the heels of trying to derail the NBA restart last spring over bubble issues, which actually was a players power play under the guise of a Black Lives Matters protest. That he’s still somehow being paid $400,000 per missed game is the capper to an incredible week of the inmates running the asylum.

News Item: NFL Playoffs Trudge On

The matchups are set for who’ll compete for a Super Bowl berth next weekend. In the AFC it will be Buffalo in their return to the top of the NFL heap after a nearly 25-year absence, vs. Kansas City, who’ll spend the week worrying about whether concussion protocols will keep Pat Mahomes sidelined after he got knocked loopy in the fourth quarter of their 22-17 win over Cleveland. The NFC features old-guard QB’s still playing at the top of their historic level when Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay face Tampa Bay and you know who. And speaking of great old-guard OB’s, we likely saw the final game of Drew Brees’ great career in the Saints’ 30-20 loss to TB. With a three-pick day he didn’t go out in style, but he retires as the all-time NFL leader in passing yards and completions and is second to Tom Brady in TD passes.

News Item: NFL Rule Change Ahead?

A cautionary tale to those who dive to reach for the pylon with the ball exposed in one hand as they are about to be hit came on Sunday in KC. And given the 22-17 final it was a game-changer when just before halftime Cleveland’s Rashard Higgins did it as he approached his goal line as he got drilled by DB Daniel Sorensen to knock the ball loose. Since it flew into the end zone before rolling out of bounds, by rule it was a touchback and went over to KC to prevent on-the-doorstep Cleveland’s chance to score. Aside from missing the obvious helmet-to-helmet contact by Sorenson which should’ve been a penalty negating the fumble, it was the right call of a bad rule that’s likely to spark a lively rules committee debate on whether offenses should retain possession at the point of the fumble since the defense neither recovered nor even touched the ball before it rolled out of bounds.

News Item: New Hall of Famers To Be Announced

The baseball Hall of Fame will announce its next set of inductees on Tuesday with the steroid issue still weighing down the candidacy of otherwise shoo-ins Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and others. That should help Curt Schilling in his next to last chance to be elected by the writers despite his whining that he’s losing votes over his constant yacking on unpopular political positions. The truth is with just 216 wins and a late starting career he’s a borderline choice that clears the bar due to his postseason excellence. As for the steroid issue, yes, it was cheating. But if the commissioner who presided over the entire era and purposely did nothing about it for baseball’s financial gain until Congress held his feet to the fire sailed in on his first try, how can you keep Bonds, Clemens and the others out? Just have the stat geeks finally do something useful by developing a steroid-era statistical index to level the playing field with previous eras and then vote.

News Item: Jacksonville Goes Urban in 2021

Urban Meyer knows the list of college coaches who tried and failed to conquer the NFL is a very, very long list, one that includes big-time guys who won national titles like Bud Wilkinson (author of Oklahoma’s 56-game winning streak), Lou Holtz (1980s), Steve Spurrier (1990s) and six-time national champion Nick Saban. Not to mention local lad Chip Kelly in Philly and during one disastrous season in San Francisco. A few like Bobby Ross, who spent nine years as a head coach with San Diego and Detroit in the ’90s, did OK, but the only pure college coach to win a Super Bowl (’93 and ’94) after leaving college behind was Jimmy Johnson in Dallas. Yes, Pete Carroll did in Seattle, but he’d already been headman for the Jets and Patriots before his exile to USC. So I like that Meyer is attempting to defeat what history says about college coaches moving to the NFL by taking over in Jacksonville. And what makes it more interesting is his transition is more pronounced than current ex-college guys Kliff Kingsbury in Phoenix and Matt Rhule in Carolina because he didn’t use an in-vogue NFL-ready passing game like they did at Texas Tech and Baylor before coming to the NFL.

Unity through art

Black Heritage Trail of NH receives new sculpture

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire (blackheritagetrailnh.org) now includes the town of Andover, thanks to a local woman’s donation of a sculpture, created by Andover sculptor Winslow Eaves (1922 – 2003), that depicts Marian Anderson (1897 – 1993), an important figure in the struggle for civil rights. The 2.5-foot ceramic sculpture will be on display in the Black Heritage Trail’s permanent collection at its headquarters in Portsmouth, which is set to reopen in the summer if it is safe to do so. The organization’s executive director JerriAnne Boggis talked about the sculpture and what it contributes to the trail.

Who was Marian Anderson?

Marian Anderson was a contralto singer, and she was the first African American woman to sing on the steps of the Capitol — she wasn’t allowed inside the building to sing, so she had to sing on the steps — and the first to sing for a president’s inauguration; it was Eisenhower’s inauguration.

What is her connection to New Hampshire?

The sculptor who made the sculpture of her, Winslow Eaves, was from Hanover, New Hampshire. Marian Anderson has no connection to New Hampshire … but it’s important to remember that New Hampshire is not isolated from the rest of the country. There are connections that we [in New Hampshire] can make with African American history throughout the country; it’s all part of a broader story — a story of justice, of liberty, of overcoming, of resilience, of defiance, of unity.

How did the trail acquire the sculpture?

Dana Dakin, a supporter of the trail and [an advocate for] social justice, had owned the sculpture and donated it to us. Rather than have it in her home for her own enjoyment, she wanted the general public to know the story of Marian Anderson. … She thought now was the time to give it to us, since [the U.S.] now [has] the first woman and first African American woman to become vice president.

What was the artist’s interest in Marian Anderson? What inspired him to create the sculpture?

Dana was trying to find that out, but we have no idea. … I can imagine that, much like our allies today, Eaves was looking at these [African American] histories and voices that speak to us all as humans, but also show us where we are divided. … Overcoming racial prejudices and stereotypes is not something that Black people alone can solve. We need our allies to step up and be voices for change … and art [provides] an opportunity for that. Art has a unifying factor that allows people to come together across all the aisles and through their differences to discuss a common theme.

How does the sculpture and the story of Marian Anderson fit with the trail’s mission?

The stories on the trail aren’t just stories for Black History Month. These are stories of African Americans that speak to the humanness of us all, not just the stereotypes. … Marian Anderson’s story is one of those stories that we as humans can find courage and inspiration from. … If we can create those links and connections [between African American history and all people], we can create more understanding and more inclusiveness.

Why is knowing about African American history important for how we approach the race issues going on today?

If we don’t know where we have come from, how can we know where we’re going? … If you look at the recent happenings in our country and the Black Lives movements, you’ll realize that we have never really dealt with what our history is. We’re still stuck in the same stereotypes of what it means to be Black and American. We’re still stuck in these thoughts of segregation and mistrust. Until we can really look at our past with clear glasses instead of these rose-colored glasses that make us believe all people in America are treated equally and that there’s no systematic racism, we won’t learn. We’ll keep having these divisions and continue the same patterns that have been set up … but if we’re open and honest about what this history is, we can start talking about what racial unity should look like.

Featured photo: JerriAnne Boggis and Dana Dakin. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/01/21

Covid-19 updateAs of January 11As of January 18
Total cases statewide52,30757,864
Total current infections statewide6,1186,444
Total deaths statewide869933
New cases4,979 (Jan. 5 to Jan. 11)5,557 (Jan. 12 to Jan. 18)
Current infections: Hillsborough County2,2172,262
Current infections: Merrimack County618585
Current infections: Rockingham County1,2371,362
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 15, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Orders No. 81 and No. 82. Emergency Order No. 81 extends the statewide mask mandate through March 26 for everyone over the age of 5 in both indoor and outdoor public spaces where social distancing is not possible. The extension comes as state health officials continue to report between 750 and 800 new infections per day on average. The mandate, which has been in effect since Nov. 20, has a few exceptions, including anyone with a medical condition or disability preventing them from wearing a mask, anyone engaged in strenuous physical activity, or anyone asked to remove a mask or face-covering to verify his or her identity for lawful purposes.

Emergency Order No. 82 is an order extending Emergency Order No. 52, which had been issued last June. Emergency Order No. 52 is an order regarding public health guidance for business operations and advising Granite Staters they are safer at home. The advisory had been set to expire on Jan. 15, but Emergency Order No. 82 has now extended it through March 26.

Starting on Jan. 22, individuals in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan can start scheduling appointments to receive their first dose, with the vaccine administrations themselves beginning on Jan. 26. State health officials have recently adjusted the eligibility of Phase 1B to now include everyone over the age of 65, per CDC recommendations. Corrections officers and staff, medically vulnerable people with two or more high-risk health conditions, and first responders and health care workers not already vaccinated also fall under Phase 1B. Visit vaccines.nh.gov or call your health care provider to schedule your appointment.

Education news

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced two new initiatives last week. First, residents who want to take the high school equivalency exam — the HiSET, which has been used in New Hampshire since 2014 — can now register, pay and schedule their test online, according to a press release. The eRegistration system will allow for more flexibility, including access to multiple testing sessions in different testing centers. Testing is open to any resident age 18 or older, and the exam can now be taken either at a test center or at home. A High School Equivalency Certificate is issued by the Department of Education upon successful completion of the exam. The Department of Education also announced a first-in-the-nation partnership that will provide free tutoring to New Hampshire high school students through schoolhouse.world, a platform that connects people around the world to free small-group tutoring sessions. According to a press release, schoolhouse.world was created by Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and Shishir Mehrotra, cofounder and CEO of Coda, to help teachers, parents and students during remote and hybrid at-home learning. “Sal Khan is a legend in education, known mostly for the Khan Academy, which supports over 100 million students around the world,” New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut said in the release. “Now New Hampshire students will have access to this live support and the ability to mentor other students. It is a timely solution that addresses so many needs.” Schoolhouse.world currently offers tutoring in high school math and SAT prep but plans to expand to more ages and topics.

Eviction education

A free weekly online Eviction Clinic is now available to the public, offered by New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the Legal Advice and Referral Center. According to a press release, the sessions started Jan. 20 and will continue each Wednesday for the rest of January and all of February via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m., plus two afternoon sessions that will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on two of those Wednesdays. (The schedule and Zoom link to attend will be available at nhla.org and NHLA’s Facebook page; registration is not required.) During the clinics, attorneys and paralegals will provide free legal information on tenants’ rights during the eviction process and will answer general questions. Legal aid advocates expect the number of evictions to increase when the federal eviction moratorium ends Jan. 31, according to the release.

Charles and Mabel Niebling have been named the 2021 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year for their 67-acre tree farm in Boscawen, the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program announced in a press release. As a certified tree farm, it has a written management plan that focuses on improvements for all four pillars of the program: wood, water, wildlife and recreation. Some elements of the Nieblings’ plan include improving the quality of timber, protecting wetlands, creating diverse wildlife habitats and providing a recreational resource for hiking, bird-watching, hunting, snowmobiling and horseback riding, the release said.

The Zonta Club of Concord has launched a vaccination education campaign, distributing “Can’t Wait to Vaccinate” pins in the greater Concord area, according to a press release. As part of its efforts, on Jan. 15 the Club presented 350 of its “Got the Shot” pins to staff and residents of the NH Veterans Home in Tilton.

Around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, the Manchester Fire Department was called to the Queen City Bridge to put out a fire on top of and below the bridge that was caused by a propane construction heater, according to a press release. The heater was inside a temporary wooden structure that had been built as part of bridge repair construction and was operating at the time of the fire. The bridge was not damaged in the fire, according to the release.

Isabel Povey of Hampstead helped collect and donate 646 coats this winter and dropped them off last week at the Nashua Anton’s Cleaners, which is one of the locations in New Hampshire that is hosting the Coats for Kids program, according to a press release. Gently used warm winter coats are still being accepted through the end of February at any New Hampshire Anton’s Cleaners, Jordan’s Furniture or Enterprise Bank.

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