Thursday, July 8 Hillsboro Summerfest starts today and runs through Sunday at Grimes Field, 29 Preston St. in Hillsborough. Admission is free but bring money for parking ($10), the midway and carnival rides, beer tent, food vendors and more. The hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Catch live music (Decatur Creek on Thursday, Lonesome Train on Friday and Mosey Down on Saturday), fireworks on Saturday, a tractor pull on Friday, a women’s skillet toss on Saturday and a parade and a car and truck show on Sunday. Also on Sunday, children ages 10 and under can take part in a cupcake eating contest at 1 p.m. and there will be a pie eating contest at 1:30 p.m. Work up an appetite on Friday evening at the 5K race. See hillsborosummerfest.com.
Friday, July 9 Find more fair fun at the Raymond Town Fair on the town common, which starts today and will run through Sunday, July 11. Find them on Facebook @raymondtownfair, where you can see pictures of the bouncy jousting and climbing equipment and get updated on the scheduled live music (Carbon 14 will perform tonight at 6 p.m.). Tonight’s entertainment also includes a fire truck parade, a library book sale, a silent auction and bingo. The Saturday lineup includes a pancake breakfast, a town-wide yard sale, kid activities, a motorcycle show and fireworks. On Sunday, there will be more pancake breakfast, a fun run and a dog parade.
Friday, July 9 The Prescott Park Art Festival’s annual summer musical opens today. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown will run at the park through Sunday, Aug. 15, with shows at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Go to prescottpark.org to reserve a table or blanket space.
Friday, July 9 Friday nights are Comedy at the Rex. This week, Corey Rodrigues is performing at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25.
Saturday, July 10 Get your entertainment outside when Liz & Dan Faiella play Fletcher-Murphy Park (28 Fayette St. in Concord) as part of the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Music in the Park Series. The show starts at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.). Tickets cost $12 plus a $3 fee (for $10, you can also livestream the event). See ccanh.com.
Sunday, July 11 Taste some wines and take a walk through the vines at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101 in Amherst) at today’s event in the Walks in the Vineyard series. The program runs from 11 a.m. to noon and features wine educator Marie King and vineyard manager Josh Boisvert discussing the grapes and the wines (four LaBelle wines will be available for tasting). Tickets cost $27.25 per person (including taxes). See labellewinery.com.
Save the date! Sat, July 17 Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks in Henniker; colbyhillinn.com) has a special dinner featuring the wines of McPrice Myers of Paso Robles on Saturday, July 17. At 6 p.m. there will be a Spanish tapas garden party with rose wines and a three-course dinner featuring a summer dessert buffet and live music from Kimayo. The cost is $130 per person. Call 428-3281 to reserve a spot, which is required.
One of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ star pitching prospects will be heading to Tokyo to play for Team USA. According to a press release, Simeon Woods Richardson, a 20-year-old from Texas, will report to Cary, N.C., for training camp on July 16. Team USA’s first game in Tokyo will be against Israel on Friday, July 30, at 7 p.m. JST (6 a.m. EDT), followed by a game against Korea on Saturday, July 31, before games move into bracket play. Woods Richardson returned to the Fisher Cats on June 9 and held the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) to one run on three hits in five strong innings, according to the release, and he got the win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) on June 20, striking out a career-high nine batters in five frames.
Score: +1
Comment:It might just be worth waking up at 6 a.m. to watch Woods Richardson represent the Fisher Cats, and the USA.
Giving brings joy
Throughout May, the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center held events and activities to highlight how mental health treatment can change and save lives, and to help eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. According to a press release, one of the most heartwarming activities was a project completed by children from the center’s Child, Adolescent and Family Services department. The kids created paper flowers, some with encouraging messages on the leaves, plus handmade cards and artwork for the residents.
Score: +1
Comment:To show their gratitude, the assisted living residents sent gifts back to the children, including wind chimes and other arts and crafts items, the release said.
Help wanted
According to a recent study from LendingTree, New Hampshire ranks No. 2 for states that are most in need of workers. Forty-five percent of businesses in the state say that hiring new employees will be their biggest need in the next six months. Thirty-six percent of businesses in the Granite State said the inability to find workers is affecting their operating capacity.
Score: -1
Comment: Montana and Wisconsin are most in need of new employees, at 52 percent and 48 percent, respectively, while only 17 percent of businesses in Wyoming, which ranked last on the list, anticipate hiring new employees as their biggest need in the next 6 months, the report said.
Honoring the fallen
The New Hampshire Department for Disabled American Veterans is on a mission to raise $12,000 to complete the new Battlefield Crosses Memorial in Manchester’s Veterans Park, which the Granite State chapter hopes can be finished and dedicated on Veterans Day. According to a press release, statues honoring military personnel lost in World War II, the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 War on Terror were dedicated on Memorial Day; placing statues honoring the fallen of World War I and the Korean War will complete the memorial. Anyone who wants to show their appreciation for those who died while fighting for America can send any amount, big or small, to DAV Battlefield Cross Fund Drive, New Hampshire Disabled American Veterans, 212 Coolidge Avenue, Manchester, NH 03102.
Score: +1
Comment: According to the release, a battlefield cross is a combat rifle stuck in the soil topped by a helmet to show honor and respect for a soldier who has died in combat.
QOL score: 78 Net change: +2 QOL this week: 80
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
It’s been a most surprising NBA season, and not just locally. Before it started, very few in Celtics Nation would’ve figured that when it ended Brad Stevens would be out as coach, Danny Ainge would be out as GM and Kemba Walker would be out of town. That happened after the Celtics delivered their second dumpster fire season in three years, which was a bad surprise to many.
But outside of a rash of injuries that sidelined a lot of big-name players during the playoffs, league-wide the surprises were mostly of the good kind. At the heart is the predictability factor saying you can’t win a title without a Top 5 player taking a direct broadside hit. It quieted talk that only three of four teams have a real shot winning in any given year. It went along the line that that’s because it immediately eliminates 25 teams right off the bat. Though with the Lakers having LeBron and Anthony Davis, that makes it 26 teams with no chance. But that hasn’t been the case in 2020-21 in two ways.
First because with the arrival of some new, young stars, I’m not sure we know definitively who the Top 5 are anyway. Kevin Durant certainly showed he’s one of them, but his team, helped by injuries, went out in Round 2. With Steph Curry and Golden State barely making it into the play-in round despite his sensational season and the aforementioned Lakers getting dusted by Portland in Round 1 that’s four of the thought to be Top 5 players when the year started. It may be just an aberration, but maybe there’s just been a leveling off of the talent at the top and the Top 5 theory should be expanded to be more like having a Top 10 player now gives you a real chance.
Second, this year was more like the NFL, which rigs its schedule to give bad teams from the previous year an easier schedule the next season to help them make big one-year jumps into contention. Like the Patriots going from 6-10 in 2000 to 11-6 and World Champions the next. That never happens in the NBA. At least until this year when Phoenix and Atlanta jumped into the Final Three after being 34-39 and 20-47 respectively a year ago. As I write this column for an early holiday-induced deadline, Milwaukee led Atlanta 3-2, so I don’t know who’s in the Finals from the Eastern Conference. But regardless of who survived, the Bucks will be a big story for getting there with Giannis Antetokounmpo (the last of the Top 5) missing Game 5 at least and likely being significantly hampered after that at best. If it’s the Hawks, they’ll be a library of stories starting with having done it with Top 10’er Trae Young missing crunch time in Game 4 and all of Game 5 at least. It also will have happened after the 14-20 on March 1 Hawks fired their coach to spark a 27-11 tear that let them finish the year 41-31 and be the 5-seed. And, oh by the way, it’ll be their first time they’ve been to the NBA Finals in 60 long years, which I’ll get to in a bit.
As for Phoenix, they’re in the finals for the first time since the heist of Charles Barkley from Philly in 1993. Before losing that one to MJ and Chicago in the days when Scottie Pippen seemed sane, it was when the 42-40 Suns somehow knocked off defending champion Rick Barry-led Golden State in 1976 to make the Finals, where it was tied 2-2 with the Celtics before losing the epic triple-OT Game 5 thriller and Game 6 to end their Bill Murray-like Cinderella story (“17th at Augusta … it’s in the hole”). Thus they’re still looking for their first title, so a win is history. For Milwaukee it’s their first time back since 1974, when they also lost to the Havlicek-Cowens-led Celtics. That was an epic seven-gamer where the visiting team won all seven times in the other guy’s gym! That never happened before or since. There’s also real symmetry if it’s a Bucks and Suns final, since they entered the league together as expansion teams in 1968. Both finished last in Year 1, but 27-win Milwaukee got lucky in capital letters to win the coin toss for the first overall draft pick, which gave them UCLA all-time all-timer Lew Alcindor. They shot to 56 wins in 1969-70 and, after trading for Oscar Robertson in another heist, NBA champs in the now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s second year. Meanwhile the Suns’ consolation prize was center Neal Walk, which, trust me, was a lot worse than the Celtics coming away with Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer after losing out on Tim Duncan in 1997.
For the Hawks, the last time they were in the Finals was 1961, which for the mathematically challenged is 60 years ago. They were still the Hawks, but after being Milwaukee’s first NBA team, long before the Bucks, they were then living in St. Louis and led by the first great power forward, Bob Pettit. It was the last of four Finals meetings between Boston and St. Louis over five seasons, which started after St. Louis (thankfully) traded Boston the rights to Bill Russell because the NBA’s southernmost city didn’t want Black players. The C’s won three times including the first in 1957 when rookie Tommy Heinsohn went for 37 points and 23 rebounds in one of the (forgotten) great Game 7 performances in history as they won their first of 11 titles over 13 years. The Hawks won in ’58, by taking a doozy of a Game 7 (110-109) behind Pettit’s 50-point, 19-rebound night for their first and last title.
So with predictability out the window and some history to be made, we’re on to the new/2021 version of the NBA Finals.
The Beaver Brook Association, a nature center and conservation area in Hollis, welcomed Lindsay Jones as its new full-time executive director last month.
What is your background in this kind of work?
I have a degree in environmental studies from the University of Vermont. I spent the bulk of my career at a mission-driven cleantech company in San Francisco. I’ve had a diverse professional background, which has given me a lot of different types of skills in all areas of business operations, and I’m hoping to bring that skillset to Beaver Brook.
What drew you to this position?
I grew up in Nashua, and my husband grew up in Hollis, and he’s the one who introduced me to Beaver Brook when we were teenagers. From that first moment I stepped onto the grounds, I fell in love with it. … My college experience really defined my love for the great outdoors and exposed me to organizations like Beaver Brook, and it was always my hope to [be part of] a mission-driven organization like Beaver Brook. … Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to do some volunteer work for Beaver Brook, which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the people here, the mission and what it’s all about. … Eventually, I had this professional transition where I realized I wanted to have a career [with a] community-level impact. When this role opened up and I had the opportunity to apply for it, I was beyond thrilled.
What does your job as director entail?
Right now, we have summer camps going on; we have year-round adult programs and children’s programs that we’re ramping back up now and into the fall season; and we’re bringing back some of our annual events, like our Fall Festival and Art Show. … My role is to oversee those day-to-day operations and programs; support and ensure our team’s success; and work with the board of trustees to strategically steer the organization.
What challenges are you facing now, coming out of Covid?
We were delighted to see unwavering support from the community during Covid… and a lot of new faces at Beaver Brook. … I think the challenge now is trying to learn more about our community and get clarity on the reasons people come to Beaver Brook. Do they come for our trails? Do they come for our programs? Why does Beaver Brook mean so much to so many people? By getting clarity on that, we can invest our energy into making our offerings and the way we connect with the community more meaningful. … We’re talking to our program participants directly; getting their feedback and indication of interests through social media and email; and we’re thinking about doing some surveys and trying other creative ways to engage the community.
What do you bring to Beaver Brook? What ideas do you have to improve the organization?
I’m trying to keep a healthy balance of fresh ideas and the status quo. There’s a lot that’s already working really well here, and that should be credited to the team. I do have some fresh ideas on how we can build on that work to further our mission and [ensure that] Beaver Brook is resilient [going into] the future. … One of the things I’m hoping to do is communicate more clearly to the community that we are a privately owned nonprofit and rely on their generosity to operate; not everyone knows that.
What would you like to accomplish as director?
I want to make sure that Beaver Brook is resilient and is here for everyone to enjoy, now and forever. … At the end of the day, we’re hoping to create the next generation of land stewards, of conservationists, of hikers, of nature-admirers … so if I leave Beaver Brook better off today than it was yesterday, even in some small way, I’ll feel like I did my job well.
A few favorites
Favorite animal?Emperor penguins. As a kid, I just thought they were cute, but now, I think they’re fascinating and resilient creatures.
Favorite plant or tree? Maple tree. When I was little, growing up in Nashua, we had this beautiful maple tree in our front yard that was always neon orange. I would spend hours perched up there, watching the world around me.
Favorite outdoor activity? Hiking with my husband and two kids. It doesn’t have to be an excruciating hike — just spending time together outside, doing something a little different and a little challenging.
Favorite nature spot in New Hampshire, besides Beaver Brook?Franconia Notch. I used to go there a lot with my family as a child, and I have a lot of fond memories there.
Your perfect trail mix — what’s in it?Chex cereal, chocolate chips, dried pineapple, pretzels, peanuts and craisins.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
On June 30, Gov. Chris Sununu announced in a press release that both the State Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Information Center, both in operation since March 2020, would close at 4 p.m. that afternoon. “With minimal community transmission, we no longer find ourselves in an immediate emergency situation,” Sununu said in a statement. According to the release, ongoing pandemic operations will transition to the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services.
State health officials announced 35 new positive cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire on July 2. The state averaged 25 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 25-percent increase compared to the previous week. Covid vaccinations, meanwhile, were at 55 percent statewide as of July 2.
Voter law
The 2107 voter registration law that created a new process for people to prove they are residents of New Hampshire if they registered to vote within 30 days of an election or on Election Day has been struck down by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. According to a press release, the court agreed with a Superior Court ruling that the new process is confusing, could deter people from registering and voting and “imposes unreasonable burdens on the right to vote.” The decision was a unanimous 4-0 vote. After the ruling, Gov. Chris Sununu issued the following statement: “It’s disappointing that these common-sense reforms were not supported by our Supreme Court, but we have to respect their decision and I encourage the Legislature to take the court’s opinion into account and continue working to make common-sense reforms to ensure the integrity of New Hampshire’s elections.”
Diversity council
On June 29, 10 members of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion sent a collective resignation letter to Gov. Chris Sununu. “On June 25, 2021, you signed into law a provision that aims to censor conversations essential to advancing equity and inclusion in our state, specifically for those within our public education systems, and all state employees. This will directly impact those who are working with some of our state’s most vulnerable populations, including educators, child welfare workers, and law enforcement,” the letter read. The 10 members, who make up more than half of the council, said the new law conflicts with Council’s purpose of finding ways to combat discrimination and advance diversity and inclusion. “Given your willingness to sign this damaging provision and make it law, we are no longer able to serve as your advisors,” the letter read. According to a June 29 report from WMUR, that provision was titled, “Right to Freedom From Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education” and was authored by Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro. He said in early June the provision focused on “strengthening protections for people of all characteristics — gender identity, sexual orientation, age, sex, creed, color, race, family situation, marital situation, disabilities either mental or physical, national origin or religion,” and that it was crafted carefully to ensure that it would not ban workplace sensitivity training addressing race, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics, nor does it restrict state university system and community college system faculty from teaching or discussing the historical existence of discrimination, the WMUR report said. Bradley said the amendment asserts that “no one is inherently superior or inferior. So we say it’s discrimination if you say, if you instruct, if you teach that someone is inferior or superior,” according to WMUR. But Democrats on the council say the language is discriminatory. According to their resignation letter, they sent letters to Sununu asking him to oppose the provision and requesting a meeting with him to discuss possible alternatives. Once the bill passed with the provision as written by Bradley, the following members resigned: Dr. Dottie Morris, Devon Chaffee, Maria Devlin, Sharon Harris, James Maggiore, Dr. Salman Malik, Dr. James Morse, Pawn Nitichan, Sheriff Eliezer Rivera and Allyson Ryder. “It should not be taken lightly that nearly every member of the Council that is not part of your administration is resigning today,” the letter said.
Insurance fraud
In the past 12 months, the New Hampshire Insurance Department investigated 18 insurance fraud cases and submitted them for criminal prosecution. According to a press release, the fraud cases included false claims related to food poisoning, disability claims, workers’ compensation claims, buying policies “after” the losses and misrepresenting the date and time to get coverage, mysterious disappearance of jewelry, and numerous fake medical records. Deputy Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt said in the release that the main mission of the department is to protect consumers from insurance fraud, which leads to higher premiums. When a person attempts to obtain a benefit they are not entitled to, or when an insurer knowingly denies someone’s legitimate claim, it is considered insurance fraud. The insurance department investigates these cases once the victim files a consumer complaint form, or when an insurance company reports a suspicious claim.
Child advocates wanted
As CASA of New Hampshire prepares for an anticipated increase in the rate of reported abused and neglected children once school is back in session, the organization is offering learning and training opportunities for anyone interested in being a volunteer advocate. According to a press release, these sessions, which are being held throughout the summer, will prepare new volunteers to begin providing support this fall. “Over the past 16 months, CASA staff has been concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on children who’ve experienced abuse and neglect, shielded from the watchful eyes of teachers and other caregivers,” Carolyn Cote, CASA’s communications director, said in the release. “We’ve seen many instances where the stressors that challenge families, including substance misuse, mental health and domestic violence, have been amplified during the past year.” Virtual information sessions are being held twice a month over the summer, on Wednesdays, July 14, July 21 and Aug. 11, at 5:30 p.m. and on Aug. 25 at 12:30 p.m. New volunteer training sessions are all virtual. The summer training session is a combination of day and evening hours, and it runs for six weeks beginning July 14. The first fall training session is daytime only, running twice a week for five weeks beginning Sept. 13. Applications should be submitted two weeks before the first day of training to allow adequate time for the interview and acceptance process. Visit casanh.org to find out more or to apply.
Catholic Medical Center in Manchester has named Alex Walker as the new president and CEO of CMC. According to a press release, Walker will take over the position left by Dr. Joseph Pepe, who retired after 31 years at CMC, starting out as a primary care physician in 1990 and becoming CEO in 2012. Walker was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer of CMC, the release said.
The Community College System of New Hampshire announced last week that Dr. Mark Rubinstein will be its next chancellor. He is currently president of Granite State College in Concord, according to a press release, and his new job will begin Sept. 1, when current chancellor Dr. Susan Huard retires.
The Nashua International Sculpture Symposium will unveil its 1000 Origami Peace Cranes for Nashua project on Thursday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the atrium at St. Joseph Hospital. The community is welcome to attend and enjoy food, drinks and music, according to the event’s Facebook page, and to view the paper cranes, which were folded by hundreds of local participants of all ages.
I love tacos, and when I first arrived in New Hampshire in 1993 as a medical student living in the Upper Valley, I realized I was a long way from Southern California and the tacos I’d grown up with when the only Mexican food source was a fast food chain franchise, where I was astounded to see the overhead menu displayed phonetic spelling for each of the food items: “boo-ree-toe”!
One day, my two Mexican-American classmates and I set out in search of Mexican food rumored to be available in a not too distant town in Vermont. It felt like a quest. Sadly, our too expensive (for our student budgets) meal was disappointing, and we resigned ourselves to living in a beautiful place with no gastronomic connection to home. We were excited when Shorty’s opened; the chips and salsa made it a favored site for celebrations!
Fast forward 28 years and I am thrilled to learn of Lalo’s Taqueria in Lebanon through “The Flavors of our Neighbors: At Lalo’s In Lebanon, The Taco Is King,” an NHPR story reported online July 2. A mouth-watering picture reveals authentic-looking tacos I can practically taste, light years from what I experienced in 1993, and sparks an urge for a road trip to catch lunch or dinner!
New Hampshire Public Radio is now running a wonderful limited weekly series, “The Flavors of Our Neighbors”/”Los Sabores de Nuestros Vecinos.” The Editor’s Note begins, “More than just a place to eat, local restaurants provide a taste of home for people through food and connections made with the folks who run them. This was never so evident as when the pandemic closed many of these gathering places, some for good … comprised of multimedia stories that highlight Latino restaurant owners, we learn how these entrepreneurs have not only weathered the pandemic but found ways to thrive and continue to provide a sense of community for their customers.”
In addition to stimulating our appetites, these stories evoke a connection to home, family, culture and community, for those of us with recent or remote roots in one of the many countries of Latin America. This is especially evident in the first story in the series, “The Flavors Of Our Neighbors: At Don Quijote, It’s Important To Feel At Home,” which highlighted restaurateur Sandra Almonte’s efforts “to make each person who walks through here feel as though they were stepping into their grandparents’ house.”
I am honored to be a member of the community-media partnership that collaboratively conceived of this project. We hope you will be inspired to check out “The Flavors Of Our Neighbors” and join us in creating community together over good food, as friends and neighbors in New Hampshire.
