Jillian Kalosky is a criminal defense investigator based in Concord, investigating state and federal criminal cases on behalf of the accused.
Explain what your job is and what it entails.
After someone gets arrested, they either hire an attorney or one is appointed by the court. I’m then hired by the attorney to help prepare the defense. I start by reviewing the investigation conducted by the police. Then oftentimes I talk to people who have information about the case and document what they know. Sometimes they’ve already spoken to the police. Other times, I’m the first person they speak to. If there’s relevant information on social media about the case, I track it down. If my client has an alibi, I track it down. If it makes sense to check out the scene — and it often does — I do that. My work on any given day is driven by the needs of the case.
How long have you had this job?
Over 10 years.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I was always that weird kid fascinated by crime. When I was fairly young, I saw a TV show about a child who had been murdered. The killer had hidden the body by rolling a huge log on top of it in the woods. It blew my mind. I grew up in a safe, normal, loving household; I couldn’t imagine that sort of thing happening to a child. That always stuck with me. I so deeply wanted to understand it.
What kind of education or training did you need?
I studied sociology and justice studies as an undergrad at UNH. Then, in grad school there, I earned a master’s degree in sociology with a focus in criminology. Nothing compared, though, to the hands-on training I received at the New Hampshire Public Defender. I was an intern there during the summer between undergrad and grad school. Then I was offered a full-time position after my master’s program. I spent almost seven years at the Public Defender. That time was invaluable. I now run my own PI business.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
I dress for the occasion, whether that’s going to court, knocking on doors to try to find a witness, going to the jail, or sitting down for a Zoom meeting with an attorney. You can most often find me in a turtleneck, jeans and Doc Martens.
How has your job changed over the last year?
Throughout the pandemic my work shifted to mostly phone interviews and Zoom meetings. Now that I’m fully vaccinated I’ve been able to resume in-person meetings, visiting clients in jail and interviewing people in their homes.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
How to meditate.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
I wish people knew that miscarriages of justice do happen. Eyewitnesses get it wrong. People plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit. People confess to crimes they didn’t commit. About a third of people exonerated through DNA testing gave false confessions. Criminal cases are complicated. It’s rarely ever black-and-white like on TV.
What was the first job you ever had?
I started at the Gap when I was 15. I still fold my clothes the Gap way.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t take it personally.
Five favorites Favorite book: The Power of Now Favorite movie: The Grand Budapest Hotel Favorite type of music or musician: Classic soul/motown Favorite food: Indian Favorite thing about NH: Birdwatching
Sing and dance your way through fun story songs and jams with Mr. Aaron during a free virtual interactive musical journey hosted by the Stockbridge Theatre in Derry on Saturday, May 22, at 3 p.m. Award-winning musician Mr. Aaron will perform pop favorites, kids’ classics and hits from his latest release, Intergalactic Music Spectacular. You can access the livestream at youtu.be/Yl6vWe31EdY. There is no cost, but a $10 donation is encouraged at stockbridgetheatre.showare.com.
Live festival
Enjoy food, live music and arts vendors during the first installment of the 2021 Exeter Arts & Music Fest, happening Saturday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Swasey Parkway. Throughout the day there will be 30 artist vendors, 15 musical acts and eight food vendors. TEAM (Town.Exeter.Arts.Music) has expanded the festival to feature an event each month, June 19, July 17, and Aug. 21, with a final event on Sept. 18 to coincide with its annual Fall Equinox Festival. Food at the May event will include Cafe El Camino, Memories Ice Cream, Sweet Crunch Bakeshop and Vernon Family Farm. Musical acts on the main stage will be Qwill at 11 a.m., Bitter Pill at 12:30 p.m., Red Tail Hawk at 2 p.m., Groove Lounge at 3:30 p.m. and Cold Engines at 4:30 p.m. There is a $10 suggested donation per person and $20 per family (pre-event cashless donations are recommended via TeamExeter.org).
Go fly a kite
On Saturday, May 22, from 1 to 3 p.m., head to the Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter) for an afternoon of kite-flying, food and live music to support the Beyond the Rainbow Fund, which helps Exeter Hospital cancer patients in need. You can bring your own kite or buy one at the event for $10. The Reconstructed will perform, and there will be a food truck there to serve those who don’t want to pack a picnic. The event is free for kids 10 and under, but registration is required at thewordbarn.com.
Get messy
Get ready for water play and messy art when the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; children’s-museum.org, 742-2002) opens its new outdoor Play Patio exhibit on Thursday, May 20, with features like sensory tables, a water circuit wall, an oversized paint wall and a chalk spinner. The outdoor space is meant to allow kids to get wet and get messy with hands-on activities. There’s the Evaporation Zone, a three-sided wall for brush painting with water, a giant Color Caster sculpture with colorful lenses shading the ground, two sensory tables with materials that will change over time, starting with kinetic sand and tools for molding and creating designs in one, and water beads with hidden sea creatures in the other. For musical fun, Tube Tones is a series of connected PVC tubes that let you pound out a musical beat in the manner of the Blue Man Group. Access to the Play Patio is included with museum admission, which is $11 for adults and children over 1, $9 for seniors 65+, and free for museum members and children under 1. Current hours are Wednesdays and Sundays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. or 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Books for the family
The Nashua Public Library (2 Court Street, 589-4610) is hosting a Pop-Up Book Sale Saturday, May 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the library plaza. The book sale will include mainly fiction for all ages, and most items will be $1 or $2. The rain date is Saturday, June 5.
New camp for theater-loving kids
The Community Players of Concord and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire have announced that they are offering a new theater camp at the Christa McAuliffe School in Concord. The camp is for any kids in grades K through 5, with or without theater experience. There will be five two-week sessions, and campers can register for one or more: Acting and Intro to Theatre, Improv Theatre, Musical Theatre, Acting (Part 2) and Improv (Bigger and Better!). Each session will be led by camp counselors from the Boys & Girls Club who are skilled in theater, and Community Players volunteers will offer help with everything from acting and singing to set design. There will be opportunities for outdoor recreation and other non-theater fun each day as well. The fee is $320 per session, with financial assistance available. Space is extremely limited. Registration is online at centralnhclubs.org or contact Cady Hickman at 268-9568 or chickman@centralnhclubs.org.
I have this necklace that is marked 925. I am wondering if it is real silver or not and what the value might be. Meg
Dear Meg,
Your necklace is real sterling silver; that is what the 925 stands for. The piece is 92.5 percent real silver and then other metals. The tough part here is to figure out the age of your necklace and a maker without any other markings to help us. So to give it a value it could be done by the weight of it (for silver value), or judging it by size and the quality of it.
Sterling silver jewelry is common to find, old or new, and some being very unique and signed can bring really high value in today’s market. Whether it’s from long ago or today, it’s all about the craftsmanship.
Your necklace looks to be in great condition so I would think it should be in the $60 to $100 range in today’s retail market.
Spring puts a spring in my step, quite literally. I bounce out of the house in the morning to see what is blooming, and since early March I have never been disappointed. You know the regular cast of characters in early spring: first snowdrops with their tiny white blossoms, then glory-of-the-snow in blue, white or pink, and winter aconite in brilliant yellow — all blossoming near ground level. But there are lots of other plants to consider, especially now, in May.
One of my favorites is a wildflower called bloodroot (named for its irritating red sap when the roots are disturbed). It has white blossoms that stay closed at night or on cold, wet mornings. It has broad light green leaves that can curl around the blossoms like cigars when they first come up. The leaves can serve as a nice groundcover most of the summer.
I also have a double bloodroot. This was given to me by a friend, and it is quite rare. I found one for sale online, but it is quite expensive. It does not produce viable seed because it is a tetraploid, meaning it has double the number of chromosomes that the ordinary one does. But mine has spread by root over the years, allowing me to dig plants to move to new spots. The blossoms look like miniature double peonies, and it stays in bloom longer than the common one.
I grew up in Connecticut, where we had masses of trout lilies blooming in our hardwood forest. The small yellow lily-like blossoms nod and look down. Here I see plenty of them, but few blossoming. I have learned that only once they have two leaves will they blossom, and mostly I see those with just one leaf.
A few years ago I ordered bulbs from K. van Bourgondian bulb company for a hybrid Western trout lily that is much bigger than the wild ones. The hybrid Erythronium‘Pagoda’ has been an amazing success! The leaves are large and each plant produces two to four flowers on each tall stalk. The blossoms are yellow, but much larger than the wild form I grew up with. They are blooming now, but bulbs are shipped in fall.
Lungwort is a perennial flower that starts blooming very early in the season and persists for many weeks. Not only that, the leaves are interesting all summer long: They are a nice green and most varieties are decorated with white spots. The flowers on any given plant may be blue, pink or peach. Often a patch will have flowers of all three colors — even appearing on a single plant. It spreads by root, and some gardeners avoid it, thinking it will take over the garden, but I love it.
Corydalis or fumewort is a delicate flower that blooms for me in lavender or yellow, spreading by seed to serve as a groundcover. I have never heard anyone call it fumewort so I invite you to use its scientific name. It does well in shade or part shade, and tolerates moist soils well. The leaves are finely cut, almost fern-like, and each blossom is small and downward-looking. Some varieties will re-bloom later in the summer.
Our celandine poppies are starting to bloom in shady areas now. These are not true poppies but are in the poppy family. These are native to North America and do well in shade or part shade, exhibiting bright yellow one- to two-inch-wide four-petaled flowers. The leaves stand up about 20 inches and are handsome all summer. Celandine poppies do best in moist, humus-rich soil but will perform even in dry shade, once established. There is a weedy relative that pops up all over in my garden. Celandine poppies will re-bloom if you cut off the stems after flowering.
One of my favorite early summer flowers is the Forget-Me-Not. It is a rambunctious spreader but pulls easily if it gets where you don’t want it. It stands 6 to 12 inches tall and has lovely bright blue, upward-looking flowers less than half an inch across, with yellow and white eyes. It does best in rich, moist soil in either sun or shade, but will bloom in dry shade if it has to.
It is not clear to me whether forget-me-ots are annuals, biennials or perennials. They self-seed readily, and I generally treat them as annuals. They transplant easily and can serve as a groundcover. But I pull them often to plant other things, and more will show up in the general area the next summer. They even appear along the banks of my brook, where they bloom much of the summer.
I love primroses of all sorts, and my dramatic candelabra primroses (Primula japonica) have their own bed under old apple trees. But they will not bloom until June, so right now I make do with early yellow primroses (Primula eliator) that have been blooming for weeks and show no signs of finishing up their bloom cycle. They stay in tidy clumps.
Now starting to bloom are my Primula kisoana, with lovely pink or magenta-colored flowers. They have no common name, unless you call them, as my wife does, “I wanna kiss-ya,” which is not found in books. They spread vigorously by root in shade, either moist or dry. Probably most vigorous in moist, rich soil, they are polite, going around other plants as they spread, not pushing them out of the way.
Visit your local nursery to see what is in bloom now, or ask your friends for divisions. There are lots of great flowers out there blooming now!
Nashua to host its second pandemic-era Sculpture Symposium
After a successful rescheduled and pandemic-adapted event last summer, the 2021 Nashua International Sculpture Symposium will resume its traditional time in the spring, with sculptors starting work on Monday, May 24.
“Last year, we were able to provide a model for a safe, community-oriented program within a pandemic setting,” artistic director Jim Larson said. “[Having a model] that easily met all of the safety requirements, combined with the amazing and exciting artwork we saw produced, meant that we were excited to try [the symposium] again this year, even while we’re still within a pandemic scenario.”
Started in 2008, the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium was inspired by the Andres Institute of Art International Sculpture Symposium, a similar event held in Brookline every fall. It is the only international sculpture symposium in the U.S. that is held in a city, with the sculptures being placed on public property.
“More public art — and more accessibility to public art — is the name of the game,” Larson said
The symposium invites three experienced sculptors to spend three weeks in Nashua, creating outdoor sculptures for permanent installation in the city. Historically, it has welcomed sculptors from all over the world, but with the pandemic increasing restrictions on international travel, the symposium will, for the second time, feature three sculptors from the U.S. Aside from the discrepancy it creates with the event’s name, Larson said, the absence of an “International” component, though not ideal, doesn’t diminish the impact of the symposium. There’s even an upside, he said: Hosting U.S. sculptors allows Nashua to “build connections with local and somewhat-local similar-minded organizations and artists,” ultimately strengthening the arts community in New Hampshire.
“What’s really exciting about inviting local artists to the symposium is that the resources we collect through grants and donations to support our artists stay right here in our community through that artist and their work,” Larson said.
The sculptors — Gavin Kenyon from New York, Sam Finkelstein from Maine, and Nora Valdez, from Boston, Mass., originally from Argentina — are all mid-career, Larson said, and were chosen based in part on how the symposium could benefit them and their artistic growth. Finkelstein, for example, has worked in stone for many years but has never made a large-scale piece because he lacks the studio infrastructure needed to move thousands of pounds of stone; and Kenyon, whose 20 years as a professional artist has consisted mostly of commission work and private projects, hasn’t had many opportunities to create public art or art in the public domain.
“We’re supporting them and providing what they need to make work that they couldn’t or wouldn’t otherwise,” Larson said.
This year’s sculptors have been challenged to interpret the theme “Introspection” through their pieces — a theme that has emerged in many artists’ work during these pandemic times, Larson said.
“Artists have been isolated in their own studios, more productive than ever, but not having as much dialogue … about their work and ideas, so, in that way, art has become very introspective,” Larson said. “[For the symposium,] we want to keep art within the context of that introspection while bringing it back out into the public realm.”
Working from cast concrete, white marble, red granite and Indiana limestone, all three sculptors have planned figurative pieces depicting elements of the human form. But, as symposium president Gail Moriarty can attest, it’s not uncommon for sculptors to find new inspiration once they’re able to physically engage with the installation site and materials.
“They come with ideas that they’re ready to begin working on, but nothing is finalized until they [start working],” Moriarty said. “It’s really cool to see how those ideas manifest themselves, because we’re never quite sure how they will.”
The sculptors will work six days a week, Monday through Saturday, outside The Picker Artists studios on Pine Street from Monday, May 24, through Friday, June 4, and relocate to the installation site on Saturday, June 5, where they will resume working for one more week. As always, the public is encouraged to stop by the work site to observe and interact with the sculptors, so long as they wear a mask and keep a safe distance.
This “constant viewership and dialogue” surrounding the sculptors while they work is just as integral to the symposium as the sculptures that are produced, Larson said.
“[The way in which] artists physically enact their intentions on their work becomes part of the piece, and being able to watch that makes it easier to engage with the piece of art,” he said.
Moriarty recommends visiting the work site multiple times over the course of the symposium to follow the sculptures’ transformation.
“The materials look different every single day,” she said. “It’s always exciting to come back and see how much they’ve changed.”
The finished sculptures will be revealed during a closing ceremony (not open to the public, but it will be videoed and available to watch online) on Saturday, June 12. The sculptures will be installed collectively in the courtyard at the corner of Church and Court streets in downtown. A quiet, low-traffic space that branches a block off Main Street, the site enables an “intimate viewing experience” of the sculptures, Larson said.
“It’s not like looking at the pieces on Main Street, where there’s traffic whizzing by,” he said. “This is a place where someone can have their own personal time with the pieces.”
14th annual Nashua International Sculpture Symposium Opening and closing receptions: The opening reception will take place on Thursday, May 20, and the closing reception will take place on Saturday, June 12. Neither event is open to the public, but both will be videoed and available to watch online. Visit the sculptors: Sculptors will work Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., outside The Picker Artists studios (3 Pine St., Nashua) from Monday, May 24, through Friday, June 4, and at the installation site at the corner of Church and Court streets in downtown Nashua from Saturday, June 5, through Saturday, June 12. More info: nashuasculpturesymposium.org
Featured photo: A previous Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Howling Wolf by Francine Poitras Jone featured in “Alnôbak Moskijik Maahlakwsikok: Abenaki People Emerging from Ashes” exhibit. Courtesy photo.
• Celebrating Abenaki culture: “Alnôbak Moskijik Maahlakwsikok: Abenaki People Emerging from Ashes,” an art show and sale presented by Two Villages Art Society, Abenaki Trails Project and Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, is on view now through Friday, May 28, at the Two Villages gallery (846 Main St., Contoocook). The show features traditional and contemporary art created by tribal members of the Abenaki people and their community partners, including beading, pottery, birch bark building, fabric art, basketry, print making, painting, jewelry, painted gourds and leather work. “We are excited to amplify the voices, culture, history and present experiences of the Abenaki people … and provide professional development to Abenaki artists,” Alyssa McKeon, Two Villages president, said in a press release. Twenty-five percent of the art sales will be donated to the Abenaki Trails Project and Vermont Abenaki Artists Association to help further their mission of raising awareness about present-day Abenaki people and culture. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.
• Excellence in NH literature: The New Hampshire Writers’ Project is accepting nominations for its biennial New Hampshire Literary Awards now through Monday, June 21. The awards recognize recently published works written about New Hampshire and works written by New Hampshire natives or residents. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s picture books and middle grade/young adult books published between Jan. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2020, are eligible. All entries will be read and evaluated by a panel of judges assembled by the NHWP. Visit nhwritersproject.org/new-hampshire-literary-awards.
• Youth art on mental health: In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest Celebration will take place on Thursday, May 20, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Tupelo Drive-In (10 A St., Derry) and virtually via livestream. Now in its third year, the contest invites middle school and high school students in the state to submit original artwork that expresses their experiences with or observations of mental health. “Art lets children express themselves in a way that they may not be able to do in a conversation,” said Michele Watson, family network coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire Chapter, which co-sponsors the event with the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate and other mental health- and youth-focused organizations throughout the state. “It’s good not only for them to be able to share their voice, but also because it gives [adults] a better understanding of what they are feeling.” The celebratory event will feature an on-screen display of all 43 works of art submitted this year. Ten finalists chosen by a panel of judges will each be awarded a framed certificate and a $250 cash prize, and the audience, including those watching the livestream from home, will have a chance to vote for their favorite of those finalists to win a People’s Choice Award. Additionally, there will be information booths for around a dozen local organizations involved with youth mental health, as well as a series of presentations by guest speakers, including mental health awareness advocate and former New Hampshire Chief Justice John Broderick; 10-year-old New Hampshire Kid Governor Charlie Olsen, whose platform is childhood depression; and Dr. Cassie Yackley, a specialist in trauma-informed mental health care, discussing the importance of art in mental health. Visit sites.google.com/view/magnify-voices and facebook.com/magnifyvoicesexpressivearts.
• A family issue: The New Hampshire Theatre Project’s Elephant in the Room Series, in partnership with the Seacoast Mental Health Center, presents a reading of A Wider Circle virtually over Zoom on Thursday, May 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. Written by local playwright and social studies teacher Mary Ellen Hedrick, the play centers on the family of a woman in the aftermath of her opioid overdose death. There will be a panel discussion on the opioid crisis’ effect on families with Hedrick, Rebecca Throop of Seacoast Mental Health Center and other opioid addiction and recovery experts following the reading. The event is free, but registration is required. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.
New dates set for Miriam premiere
After being on hold for more than a year, Miriam: First Woman Prophet is ready for the stage. The Manchester Community Theatre Players’ Second Stage Professional Company will present the musical’s world premiere, originally set to run in March 2020, Friday, May 21, through Sunday, May 23, at the MCTP Theatre (North End Montessori School, 698 Beech St., Manchester). The show will be open to a limited live audience and livestreamed for a virtual audience. The musical follows the biblical story of Miriam, a prophetess and the sister of Moses and Aaron, from when she was a young woman who rescued Moses from the river when he was a baby, to helping lead the Israelites out of Egypt and through their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. It features a book co-written by local playwrights Alan Kaplan, MCTP artistic director, and Tom Anastasi, MCTP vice president, and music by Debbie Friedman, a prolific Jewish singer-songwriter who recorded 22 albums of Jewish liturgy music that has been adopted by churches and synagogues throughout the world. According to Kaplan and Anastasi, the idea for Miriam was born out of a conversation between Kaplan and Friedman while they were chaperoning a Jewish history youth trip in Israel in 2002. Friedman, who admired Miriam as a spiritual role model, told Kaplan there were no musicals that centered on a Jewish biblical woman. Knowing that Friedman’s musical catalog contained a number of pieces about notable women from Jewish history, Kaplan volunteered to write the book for a musical about Miriam that would feature Friedman’s music. When he returned home, he invited Anastasi to co-write the book, and they and Friedman collaborated on the musical until Friedman’s death in 2011. Kaplan and Anastasi spent the next several years acquiring the rights to Friedman’s discography and consulting experts on the Bible and on Friedman’s music to ensure that the musical was biblically accurate and that the songs they selected fit the story. They recruited internationally known composer Or Oren to arrange Friedman’s songs for a four-part vocal harmony and full orchestra to give the musical more of a Broadway feel. Miriam is a full-scale production with a 17-person cast, high-tech digital scenery, elaborate costumes and more. “Many people know parts of the story, but being able to experience it live with music … and choreography … will make for an unforgettable night,” Anastasi said in a press release. Showtimes are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 per person at the theater or $20 per device for the virtual show. Visit manchestercommunitytheatre.com or call 327-6777
Art
Exhibits
• “ALNOBAK MOSKIJI MAAHLAKWSIKIK: ABENAKI PEOPLE EMERGING FROM ASHES” Art show and sale presented by Two Villages Art Society, Abenaki Trails Project and Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. Features traditional and contemporary art created by tribal members of the Abenaki People and their community partners, including beading, pottery, birch bark biting, fabric art, basketry, printing making, painting, jewelry, painted gourds and leather work. On view now through Friday, May 28. Two Villages gallery (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.
• 35TH ANNUAL OMER T. LASSONDE JURIED EXHIBITION The New Hampshire Art Association presents a group art show featuring works in a variety of media by NHAA members and non-members. NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth). On view now through May 30. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.
• DUO ARTIST EXHIBIT Features oils by Jim Ryan and watercolors by Lorraine Makhoul. On view during May. Seacoast Artist Association, 130 Water St., Exeter. Call 778-8856 or visit seacoastartist.org.
• “GEOMETRIC ABSTRACTION THROUGH CUT AND PASTE” City Arts Nashua and The Nashua Telegraph present an exhibition featuring the works of Meri Goyette, including statement collages and collectible greetings cards that she crafted from paper, fabric and glue during the pandemic. On display in the windows and lobby of the Telegraph offices (110 Main St., Suite 1, Nashua). Now through June 11. Visit cityartsnashua.org.
• “TRANSFORMATIONS: NATURE AND BEYOND” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by digital artist William Townsend. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through June 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “RETABLOS RECONSIDERED” Exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen).On view now through June 6. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
Theater
Shows
• A WIDER CIRCLE The New Hampshire Theatre Project’s Elephant-in-the-Room Series, in partnership with the Seacoast Mental Health Center, presents a reading of the play, written by local playwright and social studies teacher Mary Ellen Hedrick. Virtual, via Zoom. Thurs., May 20, 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Registration is required. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.
• FUN HOME The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 28. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• GODSPELL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 30. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Fri., May 21 and June 4, and Thurs., June 17, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Sat., May 22 and June 5, and Thurs., June 24, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• TRUE TALES LIVE Monthly showcase of storytellers. Held virtually via Zoom. Last Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., now through June, and September through December. Visit truetaleslivenh.org.
• ROTARY PARK PLAY FESTIVAL Presented by Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative and Community Players of Concord. Features short original plays by New Hampshire playwrights. Sat., May 29, and Sun., May 30. Outdoors at Rotary Park, 30 Beacon St., E. Laconia. See Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook or email powerhouse@belknapmill.org.
Get some music and some art during “Art After Work: Free Thursday Nights” at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org). Admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. (register for your spot online; the website recommends advance registration). Listen to Sold Under Sin, who will be performing tonight (next Thursday, it’s Alli Beaudry and Paul Nelson). Through June 10 you can also drop by the Open Studios to meet “Artist in the Community” Artist-in-Residence Omolará Williams McCallister.
Saturday, May 22
It’s a symphony of bird sounds in the forests these days. Get more information about local birds during a Saturday Birding with Dave Bechtel program from the NH Audubon (Bechtel is the NH Audubon president). The program is free and no registration is required for the hour-long walk starting today at 8 a.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Road in Concord), according to nhaudabon.org, where you can find details on this weekly event, which alternates between McLane and the Massabesic Center in Auburn.
Saturday, May 22
Buy some stuff! From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., head to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester (669 Union St., uumanchester.org) for their spring plant sale featuring perennials, annuals, shrubs, houseplants, herbs and veggies, according to the website. (The sale will also run Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Friends of the Nashua Public Library will hold a pop-up book sale outside in the Library Plaza (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org). The outdoor sale will feature adult fiction and children and teens books, according to a press release, but Friends members (and you can buy or renew a membership on the day) can browse the selection of nonfiction adult books by going inside (sign up online for a time). From 1 to 3 p.m., the Bedford Garden Club will hold its annual May plant sale, featuring herbs, perennials and annuals, at the Bedford Village Common Bandstand (15 Bell Hill Road in Bedford; see bedfordgardenclubnh.org).
Sunday, May 23
Catch Stand By Me, the 1986 (R-rated) Rob Reiner-directed movie based on the Stephen King novella The Body, today at 3 p.m. during a special 35th anniversary screening at Cinemark Rockingham Park 12 (15 Mall Road in Salem; cinemark.com). The film will also screen at the Lowell Showcase Cinemas at 3 p.m.
Save the Date!
Sunday, June 6
The Capitol Center for the Arts Music in the Park series kicks off Sunday, June 6, with Joe Sabourin performing at 3 p.m. in Fletcher-Murphy Park (28 Fayette St. in Concord). Tickets cost $12, plus a $3 fee (if you can’t make it in person, you can also get an $8 ticket to a livestream of the concert), according to the website. The June schedule also features Jason Spooner on June 13 and Ms. Yamica Peterson on June 20. See ccanh.com for tickets.
Girl Scouts who grew up in Goffstown in the ’90s inadvertently brought some nostalgia to the town when the Goffstown Historical Society found a time capsule that two Girl Scout troops had prepared on May 22, 1995. According to a press release, three troop leaders’ names and phone numbers were listed on top of the blue plastic bin, and one, Jo Ann Duffy, was able to be reached; she did the honors of opening the capsule on May 12. A few of the girls, now in their mid-30s, were found and were able to watch the opening via Facebook Live. Among the items were a TV Guide, Pogs, the 1994 Goffstown town report, an American Girl doll catalog, an empty box of Thin Mints and a biography created by each Girl Scout, with photos, drawings and messages to themselves in the future.
Score: +1
Comment:One of the former Girl Scouts, Kat Miller, watched the opening via Facebook and wrote, “This is amazing! We put in a Baby-Sitters Club book, and I’m a book editor now and my BOSS created that book series!”
Fake food inspectors, DMV employees
Last week the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services warned restaurants that people posing as health inspectors have been calling eateries to schedule an inspection, threatening to impose fines if they do not schedule an appointment and in at least one case demanding payment. According to a press release, health inspectors conduct inspections unannounced and would not call to schedule appointments, threaten enforcement actions or ask for money over the phone. And on Monday, the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General issued a warning that imposters posing as employees from the Department of Motor Vehicles have been contacting consumers via text; in one scam, the message says the DMV is awarding a cash prize to the consumer for being a safe driver, and it includes a link to claim the “prize.”
Score: -1
Comment: On the bright side, it’s unlikely that anyone believed the state would be offering cash prizes for good driving.
Another year without balloons
The Annual Hot Air Balloon Rally in Pittsfield has been canceled for the second year, according to a post on the event’s Facebook page. The Suncook Valley Rotary Club announced last week that preparations for the rally typically begin early in the year, including fundraising, and with the direction of the pandemic being uncertain at that time, it was difficult to get started. At this point the club would normally be working with vendors but felt that “while our entire community is still dealing with and recovering from this public health pandemic it is not practical to request or make such commitments,” the post read.
Score: -1
Comment:“While it is sad to think about missing the Balloon Rally this summer, we plan to be back in 2022 bigger and better than ever,” the club wrote.
But the Senior Games are back!
All of the sports and events that make up the New Hampshire Senior Games will be back this year, after most were canceled in 2020, according to a press release, and registration is now open. The games are open to age groups starting at 40, all the way up to 90+. Events will start in late June with the Candlepin Bowling Tournament and end in September with a cycling event; in between there will be 18 other events and sports, including archery, cornhole, golf, pickleball, power walking, swimming, tennis and volleyball. New Hampshire athletes who finish in the top three for their sport will qualify for the 2022 National Games, scheduled for next spring in Ft. Lauderdale. Visit nhseniorgames.org.
Score: +1
Comment: Despite the disconcerting realization that QOL is actually old enough to participate in the senior games, this is happy news for any adults over 40 who have been waiting for a good reason to be active and social once again.
QOL score: 71
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 71
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
After a year of being a team no one wanted to own, the surprising 2021 Red Sox are back to my introducing them to one and all as being your Boston Red Sox. A team with a solid core, getting surprising production from retread newcomers like Garrett Richards or never-was-until-now guys like the 5-0 Nick Pivetta.
That makes them a classic case of “is the glass half empty or half full?” One hand, they lead the AL East by 1.5 games after entering 2021 with no expectations whatsoever from me. It has me wondering what I missed. On the other hand, while they do have an outstanding middle of the order, they appear to have (big) holes in the everyday lineup and throughout the pitching staff. That makes me wonder if they can keep it up, especially as they face a mostly tougher part of their schedule over the next six weeks.
Good Signs
Alex Cora: Outside of his maddening caution with his pitchers, one of baseball’s best managers is back in their dugout. That’ll be tested, because unless reinforcements arrive he’ll have to creatively mix and match all year to cover up the obvious holes they have.
Middle of the Order: With his in-game video review security blanket restored, J.D. Martinez is back to normal. So with him, Raffy Devers and Xander Bogaerts all on a pace for 35 homers and to knock in over 100, the lineup’s 3-4-5 can mash with anyone. It’s the strongest part of the team that will be extended on either side if/when Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez contribute as consistently as a year ago.
Eduardo Rodriguez: While the 4.15 ERA is higher than you’d like, the more important 5-1 record shows he’s come through missing 2020 with Covid-19-related heart issues OK. Major good news.
Matt Barnes: I’m nominating whoever’s behind getting/forcing him to attack from the first pitch for a Nobel Prize because he’s been outstanding. After watching him nibble himself through one seven-pitch at-bat after another, I usually was infuriated every time he pitched. But no more, as outings like his 12-pitch, three-strikeout save vs. Detroit on May 5, or Friday’s 11-pitch, 10-strike, 3-K save vs. the Angels, have become the norm. Even when Shohei Ohtani clipped him for a game-winning homer on Sunday, it came on a 1-2 pitch with two outs after only getting up because of a botched play in the field.
Things to Keep an Eye On
The Starters: Sorry, I don’t trust it yet behind E-Rod. While healthy so far, Nate Eovaldi has won double digits once in his 10-year career and that was six years ago. Richards is8-12 since 2016 and while Pivetta has been terrific, Philly gave up on his promise after he was 19-30 there. So I need a larger sample size from him.
The Bullpen: Beyond Barnes, it’s “who knows?” as according to Boston Globe stat geek scribe Alex Speier their six bullpen losses and five blown saves lead MLB for May. So I don’t trust anyone, especially eighth-inning setup guy Adam Ottavino, who looks like Nolan Ryan for three pitches and a human blow torch the next five.
Outside the Core: I like the bench’s defensive versatility, but all of them beyond short-timer Michael Chavis are hitting in the low .200s. They need to be far better, or Chaim needs to get people who can be.
Questions to Answer
Chris Sale: They’ve put no timetable on his return. A good thing because it allows no media pressure for a return by a certain date. He’ll be ready when he’s ready. And since no one knows what he will or can deliver when that day arrives, it’s better to consider anything he gives them as a bonus.
Bobby Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe:While they’re hit-or-miss guys at the moment the big “what if” for them is can they find the consistency that would give the Sox five guys with 30-homer potential. Renfro already hit 33 for San Diego in 2019 and Dalbec had a rare for the low minors 32-homer season at (mostly) AA in 2018. So it’s not that far-fetched.
Biggest Questions to be Answered
Nick Pivetta:By starting off 7-0 here since late last year, has the lightbulb finally gone on for the talented, once promising righty? Or is his terrific start a highly visible early season hot streak that ends with the clock striking 12 at some point?
Chaim Bloom: The fast start has gotten skeptics like me off his back for now. But the real question is if they stay in contention and need to fortify the bullpen or everyday spots, will he sit on his hands to sacrifice contending till the end to preserve the farm system’s rebuild for another year?
Chris Sale: If he’s ready to help after it’s too late to stretch him out, could he be used out of the bullpen? In a pre-designed programmed way to provide a certain number of quality innings per week that reduces arm stress as he builds back up? They probably won’t do that, but if able, he’s likely better than anyone they could get at the deadline, thus letting Chaim not use his prized prospects as trade chips.
So that’s the take for the first quarter of the season. Though one other thought has crept into my mind while examining the weaknesses. Is it possible that the 2021 Sox are like the 2013 edition? Who I kept saying about right up until the World Series, how are they doing this because they are not that good? So, with that highly enjoyable season in mind, regardless of where it all ends, put me on the “glass is half full” side.
In April, the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs opened a new Outdoor Recreation Industry Development office, making New Hampshire the 16th U.S. state to do so. Its director, Scott Crowder, talked about the office and its mission to maximize the economic benefit of New Hampshire’s large outdoor recreation industry.
Why was this office created? Why is it needed in New Hampshire specifically?
Outdoor recreation is ingrained in our way of life here. … Because of how we’re positioned geographically, we have a diverse set of amenities and assets and places you can go for outdoor recreation, from the White Mountains to the Seacoast to the Lakes Region, to the Monadnocks to the Great North Woods. The natural beauty and the outdoor recreation experiences in New Hampshire, whether it’s the fall foliage or skiing in the winter, are a big part of why people visit. … Our communities have developed around [and] put value on outdoor recreation. … Thirty-seven thousand jobs are filled in the outdoor recreation industry sector in the state … and it spans into a lot of other different industries, [such as] hospitality, food and beverage and travel and tourism. … 3.2 percent of our GDP is directly correlated to outdoor recreation. It’s a huge contributor to the state’s economic positioning … but we didn’t have anyone looking at outdoor recreation from an economic and workforce development standpoint. … We want to make sure we’re capitalizing on New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation assets to enhance the quality of life for our residents and the experience for our visitors.
What’s on the agenda?
Some of the line items in the legislation include helping to develop [outdoor recreation] workforce development; leveraging New Hampshire’s natural assets and outdoor amenities for economic development and economic vitality; conservation and stewardship, making sure that these outdoor amenities are being well-preserved so that they can be used in the same way tomorrow and in 100 years from now; entrepreneurship and promoting businesses; and collaborating with different departments — whether it’s Fish and Game, the Trails Bureau or State Parks — to create an outdoor recreation collective that will work together to elevate New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation.
How does the pandemic impact outdoor recreation in the state?
Covid gave a lot of people an opportunity to be introduced or reintroduced to outdoor activities … and the trend is going in the direction of more people spending more time outside. In the last year, businesses in the outdoor recreation [industry] and in resort towns were so busy it was crazy. They saw [profit] numbers they had never seen before. … Coming out of Covid, we have a great opportunity, because there’s a lot of pent-up demand [for] and excitement to do things with friends and family again, and outdoor recreation is a focal point of how people want to be spending their time. We need to make sure we’re taking advantage of that interest to benefit our communities.
What is your background in this kind of work? How did you come into this position?
I’ve always kind of had my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the world of travel and tourism, sports and outdoor recreation in the state. … I grew up in Nashua and would spend my summers on Lake Winnipesaukee. I studied sports management and marketing in college and have [worked within] the world of traditional, organized sports as well as outdoor recreation. … I started an outdoor recreation shop on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith. … I’ve worked in events and sports tourism. … I’ve been on the Lakes Region Tourism Board for a decade now. … A few years ago I was put on a little committee to look at the viability of creating this office. … When the [director] position was posted, I put my hat in the ring for it.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve been going on a little bit of a listening tour across the state, having conversations with municipalities, nonprofit groups, private businesses — all the stakeholders that exist within the outdoor recreation space here in New Hampshire — to figure out the lay of the land, put the pieces together and see how this office could be the most impactful. … Over the next three [to] six weeks, we’ll be able to put more pen to paper about how to move forward with a strategic vision … and set goals for one year, three years and five years down the line.
What is your personal vision for the office? What would you like to accomplish as director?
I think it’s [building] that collective effort of outdoor recreation [collaborators]. There are a lot of people who are super-passionate about outdoor recreation in our state and a lot of dots that we can connect … at a state level, regional level and community level. … This [office’s mission] is a big task, and in order for it to be successful, I can’t exist in a vacuum; there has to be that collaborative approach.
