211209 – Page 4

The Art Roundup 21/12/09

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

• Nutcracker galore: Don’t miss your chance to see the classic Nutcracker this holiday season. Three local dance groups are performing the piece this weekend. The Turning Pointe Center of Dance presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Tickets cost $18. Visit turningpointecenterofdance.com.

The Northeastern Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m., at Dover High School (25 Alumni Drive, Dover). There will also be shows the following weekend on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m., at the Kingswood Arts Center (396 S. Main St., Wolfeboro). Tickets purchased in advance cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors age 60 and up and $17.50 for students and children; tickets purchased at the door are an additional $5. Visit northeasternballet.org.

Finally, Dance Visions Network presents The Nutcracker Suite on Sunday, Dec. 12, with shows at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Dr., Manchester). Tickets cost $22. Visit dancevisionsnetwork.com.

• Holiday theater: If you’re looking for something different from the ubiquitous Nutcracker and Christmas Carol, there are a few other holiday shows coming up. The Majestic Theatre presents Scrooge in Love at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry), with showtimes on Friday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. Set one year after the events of Charles’ Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the musical follows four ghosts — Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future — as they team up to reunite a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge with his long-long first love, Belle. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for seniors age 65 and up and students age 17 and under. Visit majestictheatre.net.

The Pinkerton Players presents Donald Margulies’ play Coney Island Christmas at the Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St., Derry), with showtimes on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. Based on the 1959 autobiographical short story “The Loudest Voice” by Grace Paley, Coney Island Christmas follows a young Jewish girl from an immigrant family in Depression-era New York City who is cast as Jesus in her school’s Christmas pageant. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Visit stockbridgetheatre.com.

The Palace Youth Theatre, consisting of student actors in grades 2 through 12, presents Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) on Tuesday, Dec. 14, and Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 to $15. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• Festive voices: It’s also a big weekend for holiday choral music. The Souhegan Valley Chorus presents its holiday concert, “A Celebration of Christmas,” on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. at Souhegan High School (412 Boston Post Road, Amherst). Tickets are available at the door and cost $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Visit souheganvalleychorus.org.

The Concord Chorale presents its holiday show “Gloria!”at South Congregational Church (27 Pleasant St., Concord) on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors in advance, and $25/$20 at the door. Visit concordchorale.org.

Lastly, the Manchester Choral Society presents its holiday concert at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for kids age 10 and under. Visit labellewinery.com

DIY gifts

AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester) will have a holiday gift making workshop on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be several different projects to choose from, including mini plank trays, round lazy susans, centerpiece boxes and photo boards. The cost ranges from $49.50 to $89.50, depending on the project chosen. Registration is required, and space is limited. Call 573-9662 or visit arworkshop.com/manchester.

ART

Exhibits

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, 49 S. Main St., Concord, now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, including oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• EMILY NOELLE LAMBERT Solo exhibition by New York City artist Emily Noelle Lambert. Dana Center for the Humanities (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Now through Jan. 9. Masks required inside the gallery. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities or call 641-7700.

• “THE DYSFUNCTION OF SOCIAL PRACTICE” Kelley Stelling Contemporary presents an exhibition featuring paintings, sculpture and performance works by five New Hampshire artists. Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord). Now through Jan. 14. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with evening and weekend visits available by request. Visit kelleystellingcontemporary.com.

THEATER

Shows

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord). Now through Dec. 19. Showtimes are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE The Players’ Ring Theatre presents. 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth. Now through Dec. 19, with showtimes on Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and noon. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for students and seniors age 65 and up and $15 for kids under age 12. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

• PETER PAN The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents. Now through Dec. 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $50. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL: AN ORIGINAL LIVE RADIO PLAY The Peacock Players present. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Thurs., Dec. 16, and Fri., Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 18, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sun., Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $19. Visit peacockplayers.org.

• THE NUTCRACKER The NH School of Ballet presents. Sun., Dec. 19, at 2 p.m., at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord); and Sun., Dec. 26, at 6 p.m., at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tickets cost $22. Visit nhschoolofballet.com.

Classical

• “IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” The NH Gay Men’s Chorus presents holiday concert. Sat., Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (22 Fox Run Road, Newington); and Sun., Dec. 12, 4 p.m., at Derryfield School (2108 River Road, Manchester). Tickets cost $20 for adults; free for children under age 13. Visit nhgmc.com.

• GRANITE STATE RINGERS Handbell choir performs holiday music. Sat., Dec. 11, 2 p.m. 20 Main St., Sandown. Free. Reservations required. Visit granitestateringers.org.

• HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra performs. Fri., Dec. 10, 7 p.m., at Colonial Theatre (617 Main St., Laconia); and Sat., Dec. 11, 7 p.m., and Sun., Dec. 12, 3 p.m., at Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium (Route 25, Meredith). Tickets cost $10 to $20 for students and $20 to $30 for adults for Dec. 10 show, and $10 for students and $25 for adults for shows on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12. Visit lrso.org.

• HOLIDAY POPS Symphony NH performs. Sat., Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m., at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua); and Sun., Dec. 12, at 3 p.m., at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Tickets range from $20 to $60 for adults, $18 to $55 for seniors age 65+, and are free for children. Visit symphonynh.org.

• “THE DICKENS CAROLERS ON TOUR The Piccola Opera presents. Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Sat., Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for seniors and children and $20 for adults. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.

Gift Guide – Creatively wrapped

Art, music and theater gifts for all ages

There are plenty of opportunities to shop locally for handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts this month. Some art galleries host special holiday exhibits focused on small and affordable works of art, with gift shopping in mind. Pop-up holiday arts markets and craft fairs have a little of everything, including photography, pottery, woodwork, textiles, jewelry, glass, metal, fine art, mixed media and more. New Hampshire also has a number of retail shops that sell items created by local artists and craftspeople.

“Buying handmade and local not only supports the local economy, and our neighbors’ livelihoods, but also presents an opportunity to gift unique, one-of-a-kind, heartfelt gifts that are so much more personal than things you may find in a bigger retail environment,” said Jessica Moores, owner of Manchester Craft Market.

Arts markets and craft fairs

• The annual holiday showcase at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen), “Sleighbell Studio,” is open now through Dec. 18, featuring a wide selection of fine art, jewelry, cards, books, honeys, soaps and more, all locally made and priced affordably for gift buying. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “Small Works —Big Impact,” the annual holiday exhibit at Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford), is going on now through Dec. 31, in person at the gallery and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• Two Villages Art Society (46 Main St., Contoocook) has its Holiday Art Show and Sale now through Dec. 23, featuring handmade gifts by more than 30 local artists, including paintings, pottery, mixed media, photography, fabric art and more. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Holiday Fair is open now through Dec. 23, with in-person shopping at the historic Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford), open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an online shop. The fair will feature seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, stained and fused glass, mixed media, jewelry and more by juried local artists and craftspeople. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• The Great Holiday Shopping Extravaganza is Friday, Dec. 10, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford). More than 80 local crafters and artisans will sell jewelry, scarves, home decor, woodwork, pottery, metal art and more. Visit hampshirehills.com.

• The Holly Jolly Craft Fair takes place at DoubleTree Hotel (2 Somerset Parkway, Nashua) on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 80 exhibitors will sell jewelry, wreaths, metal art, pottery, children’s items, candles, scarves and more. Admission costs $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and is free for kids under age 16. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The New Hampshire Audubon hosts its Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord). A number of local artists will show and sell their work, including jewelry, pottery, nature photography, greeting cards, quilted items and more. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• The Artisan Market at The Cider Mill Gallery (24 Francestown Road, New Boston) is going on now through Dec. 24, open Friday through Sunday, and, for last-minute gift shopping, Monday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., each day. Call 487-5522 or visit eileenbelanger.com.

Handmade gift shops

• Creative Vibes (2 Pauls Way, Amherst, 557-2457, creativevibesnh.com, open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• Currier Museum of Art gift shop (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org, open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (nhcrafts.org)

• Concord (36 N. Main St., 228-8171, open Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Hooksett (530 W. River Road, 210-5181, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Nashua (98 Main St., 595-8233, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday)

• Meredith (279 Daniel Webster Hwy., 279-7920, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.)

Locally Made

• Salem (99 Rockingham Blvd., Salem, 890-7141, locallyhandmadesalemnh.com, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.)

• Merrimack (80 Premium Outlets Blvd., Merrimack, 377-7610, facebook.com/LHMerrimackNH, open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Manchester Craft Market (Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com, open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.)

• Spriggs Shoppe (Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen, 975-0015, twiggsgallery.wordpress.com, open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.)

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.)

• Wild Little Art Shop (Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com, open Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 23.)

Performance venues

For the theater-lover in your life, consider tickets to an upcoming show that you know they would like.

“Giving the gift of theater and allowing someone to have a night out and away from the daily grind of life is a great thing,” said Robert Dionne, artistic director for The Majestic Theatre, a theater company based in Manchester.

Or let the recipient choose a show themselves with a gift certificate for a local entertainment venue.

“Entertainment is a great gift because it’s providing an experience that is always unique, and it’s a flexible option that can satisfy the tastes of any recipient,” said Dan Darling, executive director of the Franklin Opera House.

• Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., and Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com)

• Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin, 934-1901, franklinoperahouse.org)

• Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2315, hatboxnh.com)

• Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org)

• The Music Hall (Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., and Loft, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org)

Art classes/workshops

Give the gift of knowledge to an aspiring artist, actor or musician with a gift certificate for a local art studio, theater program or music school, which they can use for workshops or classes to improve their craft.

“Perhaps someone played an instrument many years ago and has been wanting to pick it up again,” said Dionne, who is also the administrator at Ted Herbert Music School in Manchester. “Our teachers [work with] all ages, abilities, and musical styles. Whether you are learning for fun or to further a music career, we are here to lead you in the direction you wish.”

• AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester, 573-9662, arworkshop.com/manchester) Offers DIY workshops for creating custom wood signs, canvas pillows, centerpiece boxes, canvas tote bags and more.

• Currier Museum of Art, Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) Offers seasonal weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media.

• Kimball-Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) Offers weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media.

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (98 Main St., Nashua, 595-8233; 279 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-7920, nhcrafts.org) Offer weekly classes and one-day workshops for a variety of crafts.

• Muse Paintbar (42 Hanover St., Manchester, muse paintbar.com) Offers paint-and-sip workshops and step-by-step painting workshops for families.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) Offers classes and workshops for all ages and experience levels in pottery, clay, painting, stained glass and more.

• Time to Clay (228 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, timetoclay.com) Offers pottery workshops for all ages.

• The Voice of Clay (16 Meetinghouse Hill Road, Brookline, 672-2626, voiceofclay.com) Offers pottery classes for all ages and experience levels.

• You’re Fired (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, No. 101, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; 204-5559; yourefirednh.com) Offers open studio times and materials for pottery and mosaic projects.

• The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 913-9217, thecanvasroadshow.com) Offers DIY workshops for creating custom wood signs, canvas paintings, sea glass art and more.

• Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com) Offers a variety of art classes and workshops for all ages.

Music and performing arts classes/workshops

• Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org)

• The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net)

• Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org)

• Manchester Music Mill (329 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8022, manchestermusicmill.com)

• Nashua Community Music School (5 Pine St. Ext., Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org)

• New Hampshire Theatre Project (West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St., No. 3, Portsmouth, 431-6644, nhtheatreproject.org)

• NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., No. 2017, Manchester, 660-2208, nhtunes.biz)

• Ted Herbert Music School (922 Elm St., Manchester, 669-9191, tedherbert.com)

• The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com)

Featured Photo: Shop handmade gifts at The Craftworkers’ Guild’s holiday fair. Courtesy photo.

This Week 21/12/09

Big Events December 9, 2021 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 9

Productions of A Christmas Carol take place on stages throughout the area this weekend. Tonight, the Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) continues its run (shows continue through Dec. 22) with shows at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow; 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, and noon on Sunday, Dec. 12.

The Hatbox Theatre’s (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com) production (which continues through Dec. 19) has showtimes Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m.

For a slightly different take on the main character, the Majestic Theatre presentsScrooge in Loveat the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) on Friday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. This continuation of the Christmas Carol story looks at Scrooge a year later when the ghosts return to help Ebenezer find love, according to majestictheatre.net.

Friday, Dec. 10

This week’s craft fairs kick off tonight.

• The Great New England Craft & Artisan Show (gnecraftartisanshows.com) runs today from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road in Milford). Admission is free; Santa will make an appearance on Saturday.

• The Auburn Village School (11 Eaton Hill Road in Auburn) will hold its Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair Saturday, Dec. 11, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with more than 30 vendors and crafters, kids crafts and games, concessions and a visit from Santa, according to the school’s Facebook page.

• Bishop Brady High School (25 Columbus Ave. in Concord; bishopbrady.edu) will hold its Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• On Saturday, Dec. 11, the Holly Jolly Craft Fair (joycescraftshows.com/nh-craft-fairs-schedule) will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (2 Somerset Plaza in Nashua).

• The Canterbury Community Farmers Market Association (canterburyfarmersmarket.com) will hold a special indoor holiday-themed market with food, art and crafts on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the gymnasium of Canterbury Elementary School (15 Baptist Road).

• The NH Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org) will host a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Nature Store will also be open.

• The Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaare (facebook.com/wrongbrain) will take place Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Millspace (55 Main St. in Newmarket) featuring artwork and artisan crafted items.

• The Santa’s Workshop Craft Fair will run at the Derry VFW (18 Railroad Ave. in Derry) on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 10

Celebrate the annual Amherst tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Amherst Town Green. Treats will be available for purchase, according to amhersttreelightingfestival.weebly.com. Keep the holiday spirit going in Amherst with a performance by the Souhegan Valley Chorus Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. at Souhegan High School (tickets on sale at the door) and a free holiday concert by the Amherst Town Band Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 11

The Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; shakersorg) kicks off two weekends of its “Merry Merry Canterbury” celebration today. The events take place Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 (as well as Dec. 18 and Dec. 19) from 1 to 5 p.m. Reserve a spot in advance for $20 per adult (free for kids). The days will include a seasonal display in the bar, a craft, a 19th-century magic show and carols. (For $50, attend the Candlelight Tours the following weekend.)

Saturday, Dec. 11

Take a drive and see some lights: Light Up New Boston will take place on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Find a map to houses with holiday displays at newbostonnh.gov. The event follows the S’mores with Santa event from 4 to 6 p.m. which features a tree-lighting, a chance to meet Santa and s’mores.

Featured photo: Glass art window by Doris massetti. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/12/09

Putting a damper on shopping

The Mall of New Hampshire had to shut down its food establishments temporarily after a massage chair caught fire. According to a press release, the Manchester Fire Department responded to the call around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 5 and found heavy smoke throughout the mall. The sprinkler had turned on and contained the fire to the area of the massage chair, which, according to a report from WMUR, was said to have been in a hallway outside of Best Buy and the food court. There was water damage in the area of the fire and smoke damage throughout, according to the fire department’s report, but no one was injured. The mall’s eateries were scheduled to reopen upon passing inspection from the Manchester Health Department, according to WMUR.

Score: -1

Comment: What is Christmas shopping without snacks and a massage?

Granite State gives

New Hampshire is the 9th most generous state, according to GoFundMe’s annual Giving Report. The fundraising platform’s report includes a list of the most generous states and cities in America for supporting individuals, causes and organizations in 2021. According to the report, the top three states are Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. The rankings are based on the number of donations per capita on GoFundMe.

Score: +1

Comment: All six New England states made it into the Top 10, according to the report.

Student success

Two New Hampshire students — Matthew Blair of Manchester Central High School and Warren Chen of Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua — have been selected to participate in the 60th Annual U.S. Senate Youth Program. According to a press release, the two were nominated by their principals and were selected by a panel of judges. Blair, a senior, is class president, editor-in-chief of Central’s school newspaper, co-captain of the Boys’ Varsity Hockey Team, drum major and a National Honor Society member, and he’s ranked 1st in his class with a 4.0 GPA. Chen, a junior, is the school’s junior communications officer and has “thrived in a challenging program of study … [and] contributed greatly to the school community while engaging and collaborating with everyone,” according to the release. Alternates are Matthew Pemberton at Bedford High School and Max Aframe at Hopkinton High School.

Score: +1

Comment: Both students will receive a $10,000 scholarship and will represent the Granite State in an intensive study of the federal government, joining alums like former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the release said.

QOL score: 77

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 78

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

NFL stretch run preview

With December here and four games left to play, let’s take a look at where things stand for the Patriots and the rest of the NFL as they jockey for playoff position.

After Monday Night’s, um, unique 14-10 win over the Bills in very windy Buffalo, the Patriots go into their bye week as the Top Seed in the AFC thanks to a best in the conference 9-4 record. Now they’ll sit by and wait for the outcomes of a bunch of games with implications for the AFC playoff picture this week that could help or hurt the Pats’ place in the scrum. They are Baltimore at Cleveland, SF at Cincy, LV at KC, and the biggie, Buffalo at Tampa Bay, that will have Patriot Nation hoping TB delivers one more solid for the Foxboro faithful with a win.

Who’s hot: While not blowing anyone away like past seasons, it’s KC with five straight wins to regain control in the AFC West. Miami’s also won five straight, and while they’re just 6 and 7, they could be a problem for Pats if they’re still red hot when they meet in Miami in Week 17.

Who’s not: After losing on a failed two-point conversion on Sunday’s final play vs. Pittsburgh it’s the Ravens. Still have the AFC North lead, but after losing three of six amid three skin-of-their-teeth wins their seeming lock on top seed in the AFC is gone. Especially with five tough closing games ahead.

In my season preview I had Buffalo and TB in the SB. Now, since I’m still not convinced on Arizona, I’ll recalibrate to a KC-TB rematch. Though having said that, the Pats can beat anyone and I won’t be surprised if they get there.

However, with the Rams and Cardinals playing on Monday night I’ll get a chance to re-evaluate Arizona. And in a matter related to Zona having the best record in the league, a lot has to do with QB Kyler Murray and his league-leading 110.2 in QB rating. All of which makes it obvious the former first-round pick of the Oakland A’s made the right call choosing the NFL over MLB.

Murray is not the only former first overall pick who’s thriving in 2021. Joe Burrow is having a nice year too. With the Bengals in the playoff hunt, he’s thrown for 2,835 yards and 22 TD passes to put him on pace for 34 and 4,400. Not a bad second season.

Not so much for the first overall before Murray and Burrow, however, as there are major grumbles all over Cleveland about Baker Mayfield as he comes up for his first big contract. A big decision for the Browns and it will be interesting to see if they punt on Mayfield to start their QB hunt again. I bet they sign him, but for nowhere near the $40 million people were throwing around last summer.

Speaking of big money decisions, Coach B has a big one coming up at the end of the year as it’s no secret JC Jackson will get a boatload after another great season. The options: if it gets too expensive let him walk, extend him for big money (which he should have done last winter) or franchise him for north of $17 million per. One side of history says after seeing Ty Law, the still bitter Asante Samuel, Darrelle Revis, Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore walk out that door Coach B will let JC do that as well. But my history says he should not let that happen, because the Pats went 10 years without winning the SB from when Law left after 2004 to when Revis arrived in 2014. They’ve also never won it without a top-flight CB in the secondary — Law (2001, ’03, ’04), Revis (2014), Butler (2016) and Gilmore (2018). In other words, Bill, don’t screw this up.

The latest evidence is in for just how idiotic stat geek analysis is. It comes from Pro Football Focus, which gave Mac Jones his worst graded game so far after the 36-13 win over Tennessee when all he did was complete 73 percent of his passes while throwing for a career-best 310 yards, two TD passes and no interceptions. The 122.3 QB rating was, oh by the way, the best in the entire NFL for Week 12. Guess they didn’t see the New Orleans or L.A. Chargers games when the QB ratings were 70.8 and 55.2 respectively. You have to see the marking categories, but suffice it to say they are nitpicking nonsense.

The most remarkable Patriots stat of the season has been them going into the Buffalo game with the largest (+186) point differential in the entire NFL. Who saw that coming with a rookie QB?

Patrick Mahomes just does not look fast or especially athletic to me, but when he runs out of the pocket he still somehow always seems to get to the sticks for a first down or just squeezes into the corner of the end zone as he did on his 12-yard scramble for the first TD in KC’s Sunday night win vs. Denver.

While Cooper Kupp sounds more like a sporting goods company specializing in protective equipment for baseball catchers, he actually is the Rams wideout who’s having a hellacious season. He’s on pace for 142 catches and 1,929 receiving yards, which has him in range of the all-time record in both categories of 149 and 1,964.

I must admit I had barely ever heard of Colts RB Jonathan Taylor until I saw him gash the Bills for 185 rushing yards and five TD’s as Indy carved them up in their 41-15 Week 11 demolition of Buffalo. He’s worth the price of admission.

But, with him on a collision course with the Patriots defense on Saturday night — be careful what you wish for.

What’s in store

Shop local this holiday season

Nancy Kyle, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association, talked about the current state of New Hampshire’s retail industry and how shopping locally benefits consumers, businesses and communities.

How are small businesses doing right now?

Retailers are actually doing fairly well. There’s been a real shift over the last five or 10 years to a trend of shopping locally … and people’s overall mindset of wanting to buy items that were grown or made in their own community. Interestingly enough, a lot of millennials actually prefer to shop in stores rather than online. … On Cyber Monday, which is supposed to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, the [sales] numbers this year were less than they were last year. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend had very good numbers of people out in the community and shopping.

Why do you think that is?

I think people just want to start going back out and shopping in stores. … Because of the times we’ve been in and the restrictions in place because of Covid, a lot of people haven’t been traveling as much; they haven’t been going to as many concerts; they haven’t been eating out as often; so they haven’t been spending as much money. I think there’s a pent-up demand, now, to go shopping, and to spend their money on the people in their lives who are important to them.

What changes and new business models born out of the pandemic are here to stay?

A big thing stores are doing now is having more outreach with their customers using Zoom. Local bookstores are a perfect example; they’re doing Zoom calls with authors who have new books coming out [as a way to] get people to come in [to the store] and buy the books. I know of some clothing stores that are having fashion shows on Zoom and social media to sell items. These are all new things; they weren’t happening before Covid. … Delivery, curbside pickup — all of that is here to stay, too. We’re all really busy, and it’s just really convenient when we can order something online and have it brought out to our car. That has only helped [local businesses’] cause and encouraged more people to want to shop local.

What are the perks of shopping locally for the consumer?

When you buy from a local business rather than ordering from [a seller] halfway across the country, you’re not going to have to deal with the shipping problems that a lot of us are seeing right now; you’ll get your things in a timely manner. … You’re getting very unique gifts that you probably wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else … and the quality of the goods is oftentimes better. … A lot of times you’re dealing directly with the owner of a store, so it’s a more personal experience. If you go into a store downtown looking for a specific item and they don’t have it, they’ll recommend somewhere else [locally] that you can get it.

How does shopping locally benefit the communities?

Because of our lack of a sales tax, retail is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and a really strong and vibrant part of our state. One out of every four people in the state is employed in some type of retail industry. … When you shop local, you’re putting your dollars into your community. You’re investing in people who are invested in your community. These small, local businesses are there for us — they’re the ones supporting your little league teams, supporting your kids in school when they’re selling candy bars — so it’s time for us to be there for them. … Last year was a challenging time for them, and with Covid numbers surging again, it will be challenging again … so let’s try to get out there and support them as much as we can.

How can consumers discover local businesses to support?

Look in your community. Search for [local businesses] on Facebook and social media. Walk around your downtown. A lot of towns also have special [event] weekends before Christmas with carolers and activities for kids and things to bring people downtown. Those community events are a great opportunity for people to walk in the doors of local businesses and support them.

Featured photo: Nancy Kyle. Courtesy photo.

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