Tag: 220707

Playing to the littles

Children’s theater groups present kid- and adult-friendly entertainment

By Hannah Turtle

[email protected]

Touring children’s theater group IMPACT has a simple goal: to expose kids to the joy of live theater. Their upcoming summer series, called The Magic of Fairy Tales, comprising six unique shows, is meant to do just that.

The group performs each show at eight locations across southern New Hampshire each week, partnering with local arts venues to give access to as many families as possible. This year, the group has weekly performances in Concord, Laconia, Plymouth, Lincoln, Lancaster, Claremont, Gorham and Haverhill, all beginning this week.

IMPACT is part of a broader trend of live theater for children in the area. The Palace Theatre in Manchester is also running a children’s series this summer, including adaptations of Cinderella and Frozen, with tickets for only $10, and RB Productions is running a host of youth programming at the Capitol Center, including Legally Blonde Jr., and Winnie the Pooh Kids.

Started back in 1986, the touring group IMPACT, housed at North Country Center For the Arts at Jean’s Playhouse, has recently shifted to writing all of its own shows and programming. It’s a unique challenge, writing children’s programming that is still entertaining for the whole family. “We try to write in a way that’s not only fun for kids, but equally fun for adults, in a different way,” said Joel Mercier, Artistic Director at Jean’s Playhouse.

Telling stories in the right way was a major consideration for the group, whose upcoming series includes retellings of the stories of Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood and a host of other classic fairy tales.

“As I’m writing the script, I’m trying to make it entertaining to myself, as an adult, because in my experience, sometimes children’s theater can come off a bit patronizing, sometimes it’s playing down to the kids, rather than bringing the kids up to the same level,” said Mercier. “We find that yes, there are differences in children’s theater, we talk a lot to the actors about making really bold decisions and really going big, but we tell them to never play cartoons, and to never play down to the audience.”

It’s this care that has made the programming a success over the years. “We do end up seeing a lot of kids who return week to week, and a lot of families make this a weekly tradition, which is not only great for us but it’s great for the venues too,” said Mercier. “We will sometimes get emails from families telling us who their favorite performers were this season, and just how much they enjoyed the shows.”

In addition to writing for the whole family, the group aims to modernize the messaging behind some of these older tales. “Some of these fairy tales are pretty dated and the morals are not the best, so we try to stay away from ‘damsels in distress,’” said Mercier. “We want to show characters with independence who solve problems themselves, learn how to compromise, cooperate with each other, and stand up against bullying. Those are the kinds of themes we want to highlight when writing.”

This year the program has a second mission, one taken on by the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. One of the stops for the group, the Capitol Center has made all IMPACT performances free for the audience, with the support of local sponsors.

”Our venue is for everyone, and the arts are too,” said Salvatore Prezio, Executive Director at the Capitol Center. “We have to get creative with the ways we get people involved, so it’s not just for kids from a certain neighborhood or income group. This is mission critical to us, to open our arms to the greater community.”

It’s a move Prezio hopes will broaden the — for lack of a better term — impact the programming will have on the community. “All of us remember our first experience with live theater,” said Prezio.

Affordable ticket pricing is a consideration for all eight venues this year, with all locations offering tickets for $8 or less. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, IMPACT wants to make sure that finances are not a barrier to experiencing the arts.

“We’ve gotten out of the habit of going out. This is an easy way to get out and support the arts, for a very inexpensive ticket price,” said Mercier.

Shows for the kids

Palace Theatre Summer Children’s Shows

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

Wizard of Oz Tuesday, July 12, through Thursday, July 14, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 15, at 10 a.m.
Rapunzel Tuesday, July 19, through Thursday, July 21, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 22, at 10 a.m.
Peter PanTuesday, July 26, through Thursday, July 28, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 29, at 10 a.m.
Cinderella Tuesday, Aug. 2, through Thursday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m.
Beauty and the Beast Tuesday, Aug. 9, through Thursday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m.
Frozen KidsTuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m.
Tickets: $10 at palacetheatre.org

RB Productions Summer Children’s Shows

Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com

RENT School EditionFriday, July 8, and Saturday, July 9, at 7 p.m., tickets $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, plus fees
Beauty and the Beast Jr. Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, at 7 p.m., $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, plus fees
Winnie the Pooh Kids Saturday, July 16, at noon (doors open 11 a.m.), tickets $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, plus fees
Matilda Jr. Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23, at 7 p.m., tickets $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, plus fees
Legally Blonde Jr. Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30, at 7 p.m., $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, plus fees

IMPACT Summer Series

When and Where: Monday, July 4, through Saturday, Aug. 13
Mondays at 10 a.m. at Belknap Mill/Powerhouse (25 Beacon St. East in Laconia)
Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord;225-1111, ccanh.com)
(as well as locations in Plymouth, Lincoln, Lancaster, Gorham, Claremont and Haverill)

Show schedule:
Week of July 4 — Sleeping Beauty
Week of July 11 — Lost in Wonderland
Week of July 18 — Neverland
Week of July 25 — Little Red Riding Hood
Week of Aug. 1 — Return to Oz
Week of Aug. 8 — Jack and the Beanstalk

Tickets: Prices vary by location
More info: jeansplayhouse.com/youth-and-education/impact-childrens-theatre

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

A better way to zoom

Add a little action to your day with go-karts, bumper boats and laser tag.

Summer is all about breaking out of your daily routine. Put a little excitement in your weekend (or your afterwork or your staycation) by checking out some local, low-time-commitment but big-fun-payoff activities such as go-karts, bumper boats and laser tag.

Speedy fun with go-karts

Find fast(-ish) paced excitement and friendly competition at area tracks

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

Parents against kids, siblings against each other — the go-kart racetrack has a way of turning even the most devoted of couples into competitors, said Michael Accomando, the owner of Mel’s Funway Park.

“Everybody that hits the track and they get so excited. You’ve got to look at it from the point of view of a kid who wants to beat their mother or father, or their older siblings, through the eyes of people who can’t drive regular cars,” said Accomando. “You look at one big official race that’s started, but there’s always more within those little groups.”

Accomando said that his entire fleet has been tuned up and is ready for racers. His track has tight turns and a bridge for karters to go over and under. He said that his favorite part is seeing how excited the kids get while racing.

“If you’re a young young kid, you feel like you’re really zipping around a track,” Accomado said, adding that the karts don’t go faster than 20 miles per hour.

Go-karts were first created in the 1950s, and some tracks in New Hampshire have been around for 40 years, like Weirs Beach Go-Kart Track in Laconia.

Owner Tom Hickey said that he was 14 years old when his parents bought the track. Now, he comes up every summer to open up the course.

Hickey said he loves seeing the generations that have come through, from kids racing around the track to parents sharing the experience with their children.

Go-kart fun facts
Go-karts were invented in 1956 in Glendale, California, by Art Ingels, who was a fabricator at Kurtis Kraft, a dominant manufacturer of the Indianapolis 500 race cars. He put a discarded two-cycle lawn mower motor into a tube-frame “kart” and created the world-famous miniature race car.
Source: Petrolicious.

“They know me by name and they say they used to come as a kid and it’s a generation thing,” Hickey said. “You see families come back year after year.”

While these karts are much slower, and safer, than the ones professional racers use, there are still safety parameters that all locations follow.

Drivers at most locations have to be taller than 58 inches, and all have slightly different requirements for passengers. At Chuckster’s, passengers can be as young as 3 with a licensed driver. Weirs Beach only allows passengers ages 4 to 9.

Karts are equipped with kill switches, and operators can lower the speeds of all the karts for safety purposes, like if a driver spins out or isn’t driving safely.

Throughout the years, Hickey said, he’s noticed that people will always come back to do more and more laps.

“I always say to my workers that people don’t get sick of pizza or coffee, so people won’t get sick of go-karts,” Hickey said.

Where to go karting

Chuckster’s
9 Bailey Road, Chichester
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Price: $8 for one ride, $33 for five. Passengers ride free.
Visit: chuckstersnh.com.

Daytona Fun Park
104 Endicott St. East, Laconia
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Price: $8.75 for single ride, $24.50 for three, $75 for 10. Passengers are $2 additional for each ride and passengers must be under 54 inches tall.
Visit: daytonafunparknh.com

Mel’s Funway Park
454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Price: $9.50 for one ride, $42.50 for five rides
Visit: melsfunwaypark.com

Weirs Beach Go-Kart Track
582 Endicott St. North, Laconia
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Price: one race is $9, six for $48
Visit: wbgokarts.com

Bump and splash

Everybody becomes a kid in a bumper boat

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

Bumper cars are one of the oldest amusement rides, dating back to the early 1920s. While bumper boats aren’t as old, they add a little bit of pizazz to the process of crashing vehicles into one another.

Like their land counterparts, bumper boats have drivers smashing into each other, but water makes everything a little more chaotic, especially when the boats are equipped with water cannons.

Sophie Genest, 7, takes aim for her grandfather, John Leblanc. photo by Katelyn Sahagin

“If you squirt the old guy on the dock he’ll take out a hose, he’ll take out a hose and take ’em down,” John Crawford, who is the owner of Daytona Fun Park and is also the old guy on the dock, joked. “There have been a few guys that I’ve squirted too much, but we all have fun.”

While Daytona has had bumper boats for years, the attraction is new to Chuckster’s Family Fun Park this year.

“We just opened them up a month ago,” said Mark Blasko, the owner of Chuckster’s. “It’s a super fun way to cool off. We’ve learned that even when it’s not hot it’s still heavily used.”

Bumper boats float on a pool called a pond and are propelled with a small motor. The circular boats are designed to be nearly impossible to capsize, said Blasko, and all of the parks had height restrictions of 44 inches.

The boats at all the locations have water cannons that shoot water approximately 30 feet in an arc, making aming and driving a bigger challenge.

Bumper boats fun fact
The first iteration of bumper boats, called Dodgem Boats, was featured at the 1933 Chicago’s World Fair. The small motorboats sat two adults and were made entirely out of wood.
Source: “A Short History of Bumper Cars Going Bump In The Night,” By Seth Gussow for Automobile Magazine.

The Chuckster’s bumper boat pool has an island in the center featuring the park’s woodchuck mascot spraying a waterfall over the boaters. Despite its being only open for a month, Blasko said that there’s been a line for the boats almost every day.

In Crawford’s eyes, bumper boats are so popular because anyone can have fun on them.

“I like to say we have kids of all ages come here,” Crawford said. “It’s great to see the 70- and 80-year-old ‘kids’ get in the boats with their kids and grandkids and have a good time.”

Where to find bumper boats

Chuckster’s
9 Bailey Road, Chichester
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Price: $7 per ride, passengers are free
Visit: chuckstersnh.com

Daytona Fun Park
104 Endicott St. East, Laconia
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Price: $9.50 for single ride, $2 additional per passenger
Visit: daytonafunparknh.com

Mel’s Funway Park
454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Price: $9 for one ride, $40 for five rides.
Visit: melsfunwaypark.com

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Tag, you’re it, with lasers

By Hannah Turtle

hturtle@admin

Jack Walsh contributed to this story.

When asked about the draw of laser tag, Mel’s Funway Park owner Mike Accomando sums it up in one sentence: “It takes a grown-up, and it makes them a kid all over again.”

A popular activity for kids and adults alike, laser tag is exactly what it sounds like, a game in which participants use infrared-emitting light guns to “tag” targets. Or, as Accomando puts it, “people run around in the dark shooting each other, but nobody gets hurt.”

Laser tag is by no means a new activity in the area, but the many venues in which it can be played have multiplied over the years. Now, there’s outdoor laser tag at AG Paintball in Weare, and even mobile laser tag services that come to you.

One such service, offered by Next Level Tag, includes various scenarios such as “zombie apocalypse” and a hostage situation. There’s even a “bomb scenario,” in which players must defuse a laser bomb before the device “explodes.” At AG, you can play a “gold rush” game or have a similar zombie-like experience with “infection survival” (Covid not included).

Venues like Mel’s Funway Park still offer the traditional laser tag experience, perfect for groups or even lone players, and for adults and kids alike, including a robust “laser maze.” One piece of advice, though: Don’t tamper with the emergency exits.

“Once a kid thought the emergency door was an emergency room where you could hide,” Accomando said. “So, in the middle of the game, he ran through the emergency door and set off the fire alarm in the building. It was a lot of work for us, but I thought it was pretty funny.”

The thrill of the chase without the possibility of actual bodily harm is something that connects all the laser tag options in the area, but winning a game requires a sharp mind and a good battle strategy.

XTremeCraze, which opened in Londonderry in early 2019, hosts a large arena of around 10,000 square feet. Games take place hourly, sometimes every other hour, with 44 open player slots. There are a variety of different game modes, and each holds different objectives that lead to victory.

“Our game modes are super interactive,” XTremeCraze general manager Leo Batista said. “They allow you to essentially play a team style game like you would in a video game, but [you can] play it in a real-life form with your friends.”

Batista’s personal favorite game mode is “Headquarters,” a mode where players take over sectors to accumulate points, all while tagging out opponents.

For those looking to have a leg up in laser tag strategy, Accomando recommends finding cover and staying low.

“People are normally looking and aiming higher. When you find a spot and stay low, you kind of disappear in the dark,” he said. “Then, you’ll have an opportunity to shoot other people’s lasers without them even knowing what hit them.”

Where to play tag (with lasers)

AG Paintball
158 Deering Center Road, Weare
Hours: Monday to Friday, appointment only; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets: $20 per person
Visit: agpaintball.com

Block Party Social
51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets: $22 per person
Visit: blockpartysocial.com

Fun City
553 Mast Road, Goffstown
Hours: Monday, 3 to 8 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tickets: $8 per game
Visit: funcitygoffstown.com

Mel’s Funway Park
454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets: $8 for each 10-minute game
Visit: melsfunwaypark.com

Next Level Tag
Booking: packages vary, basic package $350 for 12 players
Visit: nextleveltag.com

XtremeCraze
4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; (Thursday Junior Jumps from 10 a.m. to noon); Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed for private events on Mondays, except for school holidays. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Visit: xtremecraze.us/londonderry

Featured photo: Kristen Powers takes the lead in her go-kart race against Bruce Jache at Mel’s Funway Park. Photo by Katelyn Sahagian.

This Week 22/07/07

Big Events July 7, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, July 7

Chunky’s Cinema Pub is hosting a 21-and-older screening of Thor: Love and Thunder tonight at 8 p.m. at all three locations (707 Huse Road in Manhcester, 151 Coliseum Ave. in Nashua and 150 Bridge St. in Pelham; chunkys.com). O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping; oneilcinemas.com) is also on the list of theaters hosting “Thorsday” evening screenings. The movie opens wide on Friday, July 8.

Friday, July 8

The 47th annual Raymond Town Fair will start up at 5 p.m. this evening at Raymond Commons. Bingo starts at 5 p.m. under the tent, live music starts at 6 p.m. and the firemen’s parade starts at 7 p.m. The fair continues through Saturday, July 10, and will include a silent auction, fireworks and sack races. For more information, contact the organizers at [email protected] or find the event on Facebook.

Saturday, July 9

The Warner Historical Society is hosting playwright Eugenie Carabatsos for a staged reading of her short play Seven Minutes in Heaven at Warner Town Hall (5 E. Main St. inWarner) at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Carabatsos, a professor at Dartmouth, is the first author presenting in this summer’s Tory Hill Authors series. Visit toryhillauthorsseries.com.

Saturday, July 9

The craft beer festival Keep NH Brewing is back (after a two-year hiatus) at Kiwanis Waterfront Park, 15 Loudon Road, Concord (see Matt Ingersoll’s story on page 26 in the June 30 edition of The Hippo; find the e-edition at hippopress.com). The event, which will run from 1 to 5 p.m., features more than 130 brewers from across the Granite State, plus vendors and music. The event is limited to adults age 21 and older. Tickets are $50 in advance, $55 day of, and $65 for VIP. Visit nhbrewers.org

Saturday, July 9

Catch the band Alligator Wine at the Millyard Brewery (25 E. Otterson St. in Nashua) tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. (music on the patio, weather permitting). Find more live music at more area patios (and inside breweries and restaurants), in the Music This Week listing, which starts on page 38.

Tuesday, July 12

As part of the Literary in the Lounge series, Tom Perrotta will read from his new novel, Tracy Flick Can’t Win, at the newly renamed Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St. in Portsmouth) at 7 p.m. The book follows Tracy, a character from Perrotta’s 1998 novel Election, and how her life has changed since she was in high school. Tickets cost $44 and will include a hardcover signed copy of the book, an author discussion, Q-and-A session and post-show meet-and-greet. See themusichall.org. The space, which was formerly known as “The Loft” is a 116-seat venue and is slated to reopen July 7 with comedy by Pat McGann.

Save the Date! Thursday, August 11
The Manchester International Film Festival will run from Thursday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St.) and the Rex Theatre (23 Hanover St.). The film festival will show movies made by independent filmmakers, directors and performers. Film listings are still being announced but so far they include the short film For Pins, the and horror film An American Werewolf in London, which will have a podcast taping with Southern New Hampshire University film professors after the showing. Call the box office at 668-5588 or purchase tickets online at palacetheatre.org/film.

Featured photo. Thor. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/07/07

Taking to the skies

The five baby peregrine falcons that hatched in late April and early May at the New Hampshire Audubon’s peregrine nest box atop the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester have fledged. According to the Audubon’s daily peregrine falcons log, the male baby named Colum was the first of the bunch to fledge on June 10, followed by female Cinquey and male Blue on June 11, female Colby on June 12 and female Clem on June 13. Peregrine falcon fledglings typically spend four to six weeks learning to hunt from their parents before migrating out of the area, while the peregrine parents tend to stay in the area year-round. As of June 24, all five have been accounted for and have been seen and photographed in the sky running hunting drills.

QOL score: +1

Comment:You can watch the falcons on the Audubon’s 24/7 high-definition livestream of the nest box on YouTube. Visit nhaudubon.org/conservation-2/peregrine-web-cam and click “Link to Camera 1 Live Stream.” QOL is watching papa peregrine on the livestream now, at 8:30 a.m. (Images of the baby peregrines posted on the Audubon’s daily peregrine falcons log on June 22.)

Teachers honored

More than 150 New Hampshire teachers and educators were presented with a Christa McAuliffe commemorative silver dollar coin to recognize the difference they’ve made in the lives of students, as part of an initiative started this fall by the SEE Science Center and Service Credit Union. According to a press release, the teachers were chosen by students, families, colleagues and administrators. The coins were awarded at the teachers’ respective schools during school board meetings and education award ceremonies held by the New Hampshire Department of Education and the NH Excellence in Education Awards.

QOL score: +1

Comment:The U.S. silver dollar exclusively minted in 2021 bears the inscription of Christa McAuliffe’s words, “I touch the future, I teach.”

Welcoming new citizens

This Fourth of July, New Hampshire celebrated its newest U.S. citizens at a citizenship ceremony held at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth. According to WMUR, 71 people from 31 countries were sworn in during the first large citizenship ceremony held by the U.S. Federal Court for the District of New Hampshire since the pandemic began.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Many of the new citizens said the thing they are looking forward to doing most as a new citizen is voting in the next election, WMUR reported.

Cheers for good weather

Since QOL is always quick to complain about early snow or late snow or some other weather unpleasantness, it seems fair to recognize the good weather when we get it. Such as the weather we had over the long Fourth of July weekend, when the days offered plenty of fun-in-the-sun opportunities and both the evenings of July 3 and July 4 were clear and fireworks-friendly.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Downtown Manchester got fireworks both evenings with the city fireworks show wowing the audience on Sunday night and the “biggest fireworks show in Fisher Cats history” (according to a team press release) on Monday night after the game.

QOL score: 80

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 84

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

First-half Red Sox report

It’s time to chronicle what’s been a totally under-the-radar first half of the baseball season despite having some notable highs and, considering their horrid April, really low lows.

Let’s get to the annual first half Red Sox report.

Holy Cow Moment

Alex Cora went against type to let Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha pitch actual complete games that each exceeded 100 pitches. Wacha’s was a three-hit shutout of Anaheim in early June. No word yet on whether the final balls were sent to Cooperstown for their Herculean feats.

The High Points

Middle of the Order: I was for signing Kyle Schwarber and trading J.D. Martinez, and with Schwarber having 23 homers and 50 RBI to J.D.’s 8 and 33 that would have been the right thing to do even if he’s hitting .217 in Philly. But with him hitting way over .300 all year, it’s hard to complain about J.D. With Xander Bogaerts and Raffy Devers being even better, it’s a great 3-4-5 middle of the order, occasionally wrecked when Devers bats second. Throw in Alex Verdugo’s 43 RBI and average-challenged Trevor Story’s team-leading 52 and 12 homers on either side of the first three and it’s a potent group.

Young Pitchers: It looks like they’ve found their close in Tanner Houck. He’s made 15 straight relief appearances since May 5, with the last 10 as the closer when they won all 10 and he got one win and eight saves and had an ERA of 1.54.

Personally, I wanted him to be the starter among their two best young pitchers and Garrett Whitlock the late-inning reliever. But Whitlock became a permanent starter in late April where, thanks to some ridiculous early yanks by Cora, he’s only 2-1. But the ERA is 2.05 as a starter and they’re 5-1 in his last six starts before going on the DL in June. Throw in Pivetta and that makes three emerging young guys to build the staff around going forward.

Do I Hear Four: A fourth may be Josh Winckowski. Bloom took a lot of flak when he traded Andrew Benintendi, especially after Franchy Cordero’s Dumpster-fire season. But getting Winckowski from the Mets was supposed to be the prize in the deal. While it’s too early to tell anything, it’s encouraging that in his four starts filling in for Whitlock and Nathan Eovaldi he’s 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

Chaim’s Best Trade: With being 19-13, with a spectacular, had-to-have-it extra-inning win over Tampa in the playoffs, since arriving in 2020 after being disappointing in Philly Nick Pivetta represents Chaim Bloom’s best trade/steal so far. This year it’s 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA.

Surprises and Miscalculations

Michael Wacha: Boy, did I get it wrong on him. I was thinking bargain-basement signing all the way. But at 6-1 with a 2.65 first-half ERA he’s exceeded all expectations in returning to the form he showed with the Cardinals at the start of his career.

What’s the Story? Despite a lower than usual average, no regrets on signing Trevor Story. The power numbers are there and his smooth transition to second base has helped the infield defense.

Not According to Plan: Bloom’s biggest miscalculation was thinking that after his solid final two months of 2021 Bobby Dalbec would evolve into a 30-homer guy to replace the power lost by sending Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee last winter. Thus far it’s just 5 homers and 18 RBI for Bobby, who finally got over the Mendozza Line last week and is now splitting time with Cordero at first base.

A Little History: That walk-off grand slam by Cordero for an 8-4 win over Seattle in May was the first walk-off slam (as best I can remember) since Mo Vaughn also did it to the Mariners in the home opener in 1998.

To the stat geeks who think starters should face the order a third time: Seattle yanked Randy Johnson that day with a 5-2 lead after getting 15 strikeouts in 8 innings. They even scored two more runs before the Sox came up in the ninth. The stellar Mariners bullpen then let the Sox get it to 7-5 before Mo (money) came up to hit the slam for the 9-7 win. It’s a reminder that when you yank a starter who’s got it going on, you do so for the uncertainty of whether whoever comes out of the pen has their good stuff or not.

What’s To Come

Next Three Weeks: Their 16-5 streak in June came against the weaker teams, which has the naysayers saying they’ll come back to earth. But that’s what they said about the Celtics when they started to win all the time in January. So for me, I know you can only play who they tell you to play and I saw good things were happening as they did. Especially with the pitching. Which means they enter a critical stretch of 23 games (including losing the 2 of 3 from Toronto to start it) with the top three teams in the AL East and the White Sox with momentum.

Chris Sale: Who knows what they’ll get from him? Could be a big boost or a nothing burger. So instead of predicting I’ll be like Yogi Berra when his wife asked him where he wanted to be buried and he answered surprise me, as I let it play out.

Rumor Mill: The ones on Bogaerts being traded at the deadline have died out completely. Beyond that, crickets.

Help Wanted — Or Is It Needed: I don’t trust anyone in the bullpen beyond Houck, especially Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes, so they need to add one, maybe two difference-makers.

Prediction: With bullpen help, the winning continues with a spot in the play-in game looming.

Next week, a look at all of MLB.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Choose to refuse

New Hampshire goes plastic-free for July

The Plastics Working Group, one of the specialized action groups in the New Hampshire Environment, Energy and Climate Network, has challenged New Hampshire to take part in the international Plastic Free July initiative this month. Cindy Heath, the original convener of the Plastics Working Group, talked about how people can take the pledge and why it’s so important.

What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July was an international campaign founded in Australia. It is a pledge format where individuals and businesses and organizations can pledge to strive for a plastic-free July. The intention is to raise awareness and help discover alternatives to using plastic in our everyday lives … and we also want to help build momentum for future legislation that supports plastic waste reduction. … You can join us as an individual or as part of an organization, business or community, and you can take one action or more than one.

What are some actions that communities can take to engage with the initiative?

They should start by going to the Plastic Free July website, plasticfreejuly.org, which has many, many pages of resources. A proclamation with their town select board is a possibility, just declaring the importance of plastic waste reduction and the commitment to try to have a plastic-free July. There are opportunities to do things like picnics, library displays … showing what alternatives there are to using plastics in your everyday life. I already know that the communities in Hopkinton and Dover are going to be doing some library displays with education around plastic waste, and we’re going to be hosting a plastic-free picnic in Cornish on July 16, so communities are engaging in different ways.

What are some things that individuals can do to go plastic-free in their day-to-day lives?

Individuals can take the pledge and learn about how to do things like bring a cloth bag to the grocery store instead of using the plastic bags that are provided; refuse to purchase vegetables that are being sold packaged in plastic clamshell containers; refuse to buy beverages in plastic bottles; refuse plastic [utensils] and Styrofoam takeout containers when they go out to eat, or request alternatives. … Before plastic was invented, we all found ways to have a picnic, order takeout food from a restaurant and not use plastic bags.

In what ways are plastics harmful?

The concern that we’re trying to raise awareness about is not only the environmental impacts of plastic production; it’s also the human health and animal health impacts of plastic waste. The Plastic Free July website has a number of facts around the volume of plastics that goes into our oceans and how microplastics end up in our food through the food chain, because marine animals eat plastic thinking it’s food, and then the food chain progresses and it ends up in our food. Plastic particles have even been discovered in human placenta. It’s a human health concern as well as an environmental concern, and we’re just hoping that people will understand the health and environmental impacts of plastic.

What kinds of progress has New Hampshire made with reducing plastics so far?

We’ve had several communities host a screening of a film called Microplastic Madness, which is about fifth-graders in New York who are able to, over a two-year period, help New York City, and then New York State, ban Styrofoam use in schools and in restaurants for takeout. We have community members who are working with local restaurants to try to develop an ocean-friendly designation through Surfrider, which is another organization … working specifically on helping restaurants choose alternatives to plastic and styrofoam takeout [materials]. Then, in the infrastructure realm, there are changes that a number of our communities have initiated, things like recycling systems and doing waste audits at schools. In Bristol, they held a sustainability fair in May to raise awareness about plastic film recycling. In Claremont, they’re working on collecting styrofoam for recycling. In Gilford, they’ve just taken delivery of the first Styrofoam densifier in New Hampshire and will begin accepting Styrofoam for recycling shortly.

How can individuals get their cities and towns to commit to more plastic-free practices?

They can go to our Ten Towns Actions Toolkit website, 10towns.org. On the homepage, there’s a box at the top that says “Join Us and Take Action,” which will lead people to a form to complete. Then, one of our members will get in touch with them to help them get started.

Featured photo: Cindy Heath. Courtesy photo.

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