Shane and Evangeline Hooker are the owners and operators of Happy Hooker Rentals in Milford.
Explain your job and what it entails. We rent pet-friendly travel trailers and camping accessories to families and couples who are looking to make awesome outdoor memories. We currently have two campers that we maintain, clean and prepare for our renters and work with them to get ready for their trip. We also deliver the camper to the campsite, set up everything and provide help and support to our renters during their trip.
How long have you had this job? We have been renting our campers since spring 2021, but we’ve been enjoying the camping life since we were both kids.
What led you to this career field and your current job? Our family has really enjoyed camping in our camper over the years, and we’ve made many longtime friendships around campfires. In 2020 we really recognized the convenience and flexibility our travel trailer provided us and that we had only been using it for at most two weeks out of the year, so we began extending it out to friends who wanted to take a weeklong trip. We then started using an online RV rental platform in order to extend it to others, which made us begin thinking about this more as a business.
What kind of education or training did you need? We’ve bought and owned several campers over the years and camped at many different campgrounds throughout New England. We’ve learned how to deal with bad weather, things breaking, and watched YouTube videos on how to fix things. … Also knowing how to use a spreadsheet, having decent interpersonal skills, and experience with pulling and placing a large trailer is a plus.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire? Our work involves being outside and having fun, so we tend to dress like we would any other day.
What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it? Trying to accommodate everyone’s schedule and dealing with logistics can be a challenge. … Most of our renters do not have a vehicle suitable for towing so we deliver and pick up, which, depending on the campsite, can take multiple hours from our day. On the plus side we enjoy taking long drives together and tend to find our own little adventures.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career? That some of the online rental platforms pass on very high and unnecessary fees to people who rent from them.
What do you wish other people knew about your job? That we put a lot of time and energy into helping to make our renters’ camping experience be a great one. We offer kayaks, rafts, games, custom T-shirts and mugs, and lots of other things for families and folks to help make lasting memories.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received? If you can find a job doing something you really enjoy, it won’t feel like work.
Five favorites Favorite book: Shane – Angels and Demons. Eva – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Favorite movie: Shane – Caddyshack. Eva – Labyrinth. Favorite music: Van Halen, Grateful Dead, Metallica, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Acoustic BS Favorite food: Seafood, Chinese, pizza and s’mores Favorite thing about NH: All the great places to go camping
Featured photo: Shane and Evangaline Hooker, Courtesy photo.
If this week’s cover story has you thinking about bats, check out the brown bat corn maze at Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road, Route 155, in Lee; nhcornmaze.com, 659-3572). The maze is open Thursday and Friday from noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from noon to 5 p.m., and daytime admission costs $10 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 5 to 12 and for 65+, military and college students (ages 4 and under get in for free), according to the website. This weekend, go on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, for wagon rides between 10 a.m. and 2 p .m. (cost is $3 for ages 5+). And buy tickets now for the final flashlight maze of the season on Saturday, Oct. 21, with times from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The cost is $15 for everyone 5+; BYO flashlight.
Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St. in Hollis; brookdalefruitfarm.com) opens its corn maze on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $4 per person and includes a hayride.
The Halloween spirit
Why wait to trick-or-treat? Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) will start its Children’s Trick or Treat this Saturday, Oct. 14. The event runs Saturdays and Sundays, with admission times starting at 10 a.m., through Sunday, Oct. 29. Watch Jason Tardy’s Halloween Juggling Spectacular at 11 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m.; visit barnyard animals and take a horse-drawn wagon ride, the website said. The event also includes candy, of course — costumed characters will hand out candy and costumes on kids are encouraged. Tickets cost $29 per person. Charmingfare’s Harvest of Haunts also runs Saturdays starting this Saturday through Saturday, Oct. 28, with admission times at 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. Enjoy candy, a campfire, a wagon ride and a spooky experience designed for families with children (ages 12 and younger), the website said. Admission for this event also costs $29.
If your kids are too young for Canobie Lake’s (85 N. Policy St. in Salem; canobie.com) Screeemfest, check out the Sunday Family Fun Days with “Critters Live! The Halloween Party on the Midway Stage” at 1:30 p.m., Lights on Walkthrough of the Pinecrest Sanitarium from 4 to 4:45 p.m. and a Monster parade at 5:45 p.m. for little ones who are feeling brave, said the website. And check out family and kiddie rides in the Kiddieland area, which are listed on the website. The park opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays; the indoor Screeemfest Haunted Houses open at 5 p.m. and those walk-around characters come out around 6 p.m., the website said. Tickets cost $36 for 60+ and those under 48 inches, $51 for Sunday admission for adults and kids 3 and under get in for free.
And save the date for next weekend’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2022) on Saturday, Oct. 21. Admission times are 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., which features a 2 p.m. concert with Mr. Aaron. The event “focuses on fun — not fright,” says the website, and will include science experiments, STEAM Lab take-home crafts, photos with a full moon backdrop and a pumpkin scavenger hunt, the website said. Admission costs $12.50 for everyone over 12 months ($10.50 for 65+).
Autumn brings crisp temperatures, colorful foliage and a passion for picking pumpkins. But knowing which pumpkin to pick can be a yearly conundrum. Will it be a traditional titian red? Mossy green? Ghostly white? Will it be transformed into a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween, or will it provide the key ingredient for a sweet or savory treat?
Whatever the motivation, pickers will improve their chances of finding the perfect candidate for decoration or digestion by keeping these seeds of wisdom, offered by Rick Hardy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, in mind.
“Rain is a challenge,” said Hardy about this summer’s precipitation, which can cause damaging fungus, “but it’s something we manage.” To keep the crop healthy, Hardy and the Brookdale team are vigilant and proactive. “Do you use deodorant?,” he asked, half jokingly. “It’s basically the same thing. We try to prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria.”
Although a lack of pumpkins isn’t a concern this season, “we’re much more careful of restocking our displays at least twice a week to give our customers the best possible selection and quality,” he said, adding that apples and raspberries are also ripe for the picking. For those who have the guts to try creating a culinary pumpkin dish, Hardy offers a few suggestions representing a variety of colors. “The Rouge Vif D’Etampes or Cinderella pumpkin; the beige Long Island Cheese pumpkin; the blue Jarrahdale, and the pinkish Porcelain Doll pumpkin are all good for cooking.”
For those intent on sharpening their knives and creative skills, master pumpkin carver Maurice “Moe” Auger shared some information and insights.
“I think people enjoy the light from the jack-o’-lantern,” said the Maine artist and art teacher, who tackled his first pumpkin, a 600-pounder, 25 years ago and, in his own words, was hooked, by “the way the light creates shadow in a dark room and, of course, the spook factor.”
Auger’s preference is to find the “oddball pumpkin,” he said. “I try to see the face within the form. Most people pick a good stem, which I often do. I don’t cut a lid, but cut the bottom instead. I use an LED light to make it glow bright.”
Whether to go freehand or use a pattern is a personal preference.
“I think that what works best for you is the way to go,” Auger said. “I always go freehand with pictures as reference.”
Michelangelo said he “saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Auger is definitely on the same page — or canvas — as the Renaissance master. “Seeing something within the pumpkin form is the draw to carving for me,” he said. “That and the enjoyment it brings to people.”
After transforming so many pumpkins over the years, is there still a pumpkin-carving goal he has yet to achieve? “I’ve carved quite a few big pumpkins and would love to get my hands on another 2,000-pound fruit. The bigger the better!”
Pick your own pumpkin
Here are a few area farms offering the chance to pick your own pumpkin. Call in advance to ensure conditions are good for picking on that day. Know of a pumpkin patch not listed here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
Applecrest Farm (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com) Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Butternut Farm (195 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, 335-4705, butternutfarm.net) Family-friendly; family-run. Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pumpkins priced at 65 cents per pound. Cider house open with 3-ounce samples of the hard stuff available for any blend on tap.
DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way, Lee, 868-2111, demeritthillfarm.com) has PYO pumpkins, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm’s Haunted Overload attraction has begun for the season (it runs Thursdays through Sundays as well as on Tuesday, Oct. 31) as has its Enchanted Storybook Hayride (an attraction for younger kids), with times on Saturdays and Sundays.
J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com) Weekends at the farm feature PYO pumpkins Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as food trucks, a Halloween-themed corn maze, a petting farm and cider doughnuts, according to a social media post.
Lavoie’s Farm (172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.wordpress.com) has PYO pumpkins open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The corn maze is also open daily; on weekends the farm offers hayrides and a corn boil from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com) Farm market open Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. U-pick open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pick your own in the patch or choose from a pre-picked assortment at the farm stand.
Moulton Farm (18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 279-3915, moultonfarm.com) Don’t get lost in the corn maze or you won’t be able to find the pumpkin patch. Tickets are $10 per person; $6 per child 3 to 6 years old; free for kids under age 3. Last admission for the maze is one hour before the farm closes. Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Riverview Farm (144 River Road, Plainfield, 298-8519, riverviewnh.com) Family-run. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lose yourself in this year’s corn maze, the most challenging yet. Maze admission is $8, free for children age 4 and under.
Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road and 114 Pillsbury Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh. com) has PYO pumpkins open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather-dependent.
Dear Donna, I recently purchased these wondering what they were. I know now they were and are used for holding flowers. My interest is in collecting them now. My question is values on them and where to look for more. Thanks, Donna, Ellen
Dear Ellen, I enjoyed your email! Nice to see a collection beginning! Metal painted flower holders like yours have been around for many centuries. They are used to hold flower stems in place inside a vase, bowl or other container. Even today “flower frogs,” as I knew them, are still in use. The values of them can range from $5 to $10. Some fancier forms can bring much more. What a nice collection to have. As far as finding more, the hunt is on. Look at antique shops, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores etc. Ellen, I wish you luck in your hunt for a new collection. Thank you for sharing with us.
To me, this felt like the summer that never was. It was rarely hot and sunny. The rainy gray days felt more like those in Portland, Oregon, than in New England. Even so, the summer we had is largely over and it’s time to clean it up and get ready for winter. Let’s take a look at what we need to do.
It’s time to start cutting back flowers that are no longer blooming. I like using a small serrated “harvest sickle” for the job instead of hand pruners. It’s available from www.oescoinc.com for about $8. I grab a handful of stems and slice through them with the tool, getting several stems at once. Of course you could use an old steak knife instead. I leave stems bearing seed heads that the finches, cardinals and other seed-eaters might munch on this winter. Wear gloves when you use the tool — it is very sharp!
I am conscious of erosion when removing plants in the fall. I think it’s better to cut off the stems of big zinnias, for example, than to yank them now. That way I am not opening up the soil, making it vulnerable to erosion or providing a nice resting spot for airborne weed seeds. Many weed seeds are tiny and can blow in from your next-door neighbor’s garden. I can always dig out roots in the spring when I plant something else, and they may decay and add some organic matter to the soil in the meantime.
Once you have cut back and cleaned up the garden a bit, you should pull all the weeds. I know this can be a tedious chore, it’s better done now than in the spring. Weeds in spring will start growing long before you start planting — and before the soil is dry enough for you to work it.
Weeding is easiest to do when the soil is moist. If you have big, deep-rooted weeds like burdock, you should use a garden fork to loosen the soil. Plunge the fork into the soil and tip it back, loosening the soil. Do that in a few places for a big weed. Then pull s-l-o-w-l-y. A quick yank will break off roots that will survive and grow next summer. Any weed that is loaded with seeds should go in a separate compost pile; otherwise the seeds could come back to haunt you, even years later. For smaller weeds, I like my CobraHead weeder.
And here’s a little-mentioned fall task: getting rid of the flowers that have not done well in the past few years. That’s right, not everybody gets to ride the bus. This is a good time to say to plants that have not performed, “You’re off the bus. Go live in the compost pile.” A plant that is too aggressive — or one that just won’t bloom — should be exiled. Next spring, that gives you license to buy something nice — you have a gap to fill in the perennial border.
What else? Place labels in the back right corner of any clump of flowers that is relatively new. By spring you may have forgotten what it is. I like those narrow white plastic labels. Not to look at, but to do a job. I use a No. 2 pencil or a special crayon to write the name, and then I push the label deep into the soil so that only a smidge is showing. If I can’t come up with a name, I know where to look. Back right corner.
Outdoor flower pots need to be emptied, cleaned and put away after frost. Don’t wait until December to do this — if a pot full of wet soil freezes, it will crack. You may as well clean out the pots now rather than in the spring. And save all that potting soil. You can invigorate it in the spring by adding compost and some organic fertilizer. So fill up a trash can or a few buckets with that potting soil and re-use it.
The vegetable garden needs to be weeded, and preferably mulched with chopped up fall leaves. If, like me, you make mounded wide beds, re-shape the beds now by hoeing up some soil from the walkways. Pull dead plants and get rid of them.
If you have an asparagus patch, look to see if your plants are loaded with those little red “berries,” their seeds. If you see seeds, cut down the stems right now. Some of those seeds will settle in and start more asparagus plants — and they will fight for moisture and minerals just as weeds do.
If you have old maple trees, think about giving them some ground limestone or agricultural lime this fall. Acid rain dissolves and washes away the calcium they need. Adding some lime will increase the vigor of your trees. And remember that soil compaction is bad for tree roots. Don’t park your car near a tree you love. Sprinkling a little compost over the soil will loosen it up as earthworms move it down and microorganisms break it down. Roots go far from the trunk of trees — much farther than the “dripline” of the branches.
My last task is always to rake the leaves. I chop mine in a chipper-shredder, but you can also run over them with a lawnmower. Leaves are full of good nutrients for plants, and are much loved by night crawlers and microorganisms. Rake the leaves onto a tarp and drag them away — that’s much more efficient than packing them into a wheelbarrow. Once it has rained, the leaves will settle in and make your plants feel cozy and loved.
Reach Henry at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746 or by email at henry.homeyer@comcast.net. He is the author of four gardening books.
Featured photo: This harvest sickle is great for cutting back stems of flowers. Photo by Henry Homeyer.
Things are going to get creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky on the Piscataquog River at the 22nd annual Goffstown Pumpkin Regatta, an autumn event unlike any other, on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, in downtown Goffstown.
“Addams Family – Every Night Is Halloween” is the theme for this year’s fall festival, hosted by the Goffstown Main Street Program (GMSP). An array of Gomezes, Morticias, Wednesdays, Uncle Festers, Cousin Its and other “Things” are guaranteed to be on hand (pun intended) to board the giant pumpkins-turned-boats, some of which may “Lurch” to and fro, and possibly sink into the old mill stream.
The weekend-long celebration of giant gourds will once again feature the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Saturday followed by the fun-filled Pumpkin Regatta and Pumpkin Drop on Sunday, which always makes a splash. A variety of contests, such as the crowd-favorite pie eating contest, the pet costume contest and a pumpkin cook-off, will be held. Other entertainment, including a coloring page and a talent show, as well as food, crafts and a hayride will also be included in the weekend of activities. Admission is free.
“A long-time volunteer thought turning our giant pumpkins into boats and racing them in the river would be an interesting touch,” said Tina Lawton, President of the GMSP Board of Directors. That volunteer was local visionary Jim Beauchemin, and the pumpkins competing in the weigh-off can tip the scales at one ton or more. “Little did he know at that time,” Lawton said, “it would become one of the most popular fall events in New Hampshire.”
No wonder the event has been covered national outlets like NBC News and the Washington Post. Atlas Obscura even sent a reporter to participate in the race, but her hopes for victory sank quickly along with her giant pumpkin boat. “I went down with my ship,” said Gastro Obscura foods editor Sam O’Brien.
“That’s valiant. That’s the best thing a captain can do. So I’m proud of myself. I did my best.”
How many adventurous Addams Family aficionados will participate in this year’s highly competitive contest? “That depends upon how many giant pumpkins we have,” Lawton said. “Some pumpkins split or fail before the big day. This year is especially challenging with all the wet weather. Many pumpkins have split in recent days. We are hoping for at least five.”
In addition to the gutted gargantuan gourd regatta, the fur may fly as area pets rival each other in the pet costume contest, hosted by and located at Glen Lake Animal Hospital (15 Elm St.) on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Other contests will include the mouth-watering pumpkin cook-off, featuring four categories (appetizers/bread, entree, desserts, and kids (under age 12)); the talent show, spotlighting three age groups (up to 9 years; 10 to 15, and 16+), and the pie-eating competition, with three groups of 10 hungry and brave individuals competing to be named No. 1 in their age bracket.
Visitors are encouraged to enter the scavenger hunt, a fun way to get to know the village better, and the coloring contest, to be decided on Sunday morning after the judges review every completed coloring sheet brought to the GMSP Booth.
Lawton has borne witness to some of the most memorable moments — and mishaps — in the history of the Goffstown Pumpkin Regatta. “It snowed one year, and boats have sunk in the river,” she recalled. “[But] we do things with giant pumpkins like no other event.”
All are invited to put a witch’s shawl on, grab a broomstick you can crawl on, and plan to pay a call on the 22nd Annual Goffstown Pumpkin Regatta this weekend. “Come see the fun!” Lawson said. “And fall in love with the village of Goffstown.”
Goffstown Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Regatta When: Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Where: 15 Main St., Goffstown, NH Cost: Admission is free Visit: www.goffstownmainstreet.org/pumpkin-regatta-2023 Municipal parking lots (with accessible spaces) and street parking are available.
Saturday, Oct. 14 9 a.m. – giant pumpkins begin to arrive at the Common 9 a.m. to noon – touch a truck (corner of Elm and Maple) 10 a.m. – giant pumpkin carving begins 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – art show off at the town hall (16 Main St.) 10:30 a.m. – pet costume contest at Glen Lake Animal Hospital (15 Elm St.) 11 a.m. – Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at the Common 1 p.m. – pumpkin cook-off (location TBA) 2:30 p.m. – giant pumpkin boat building on Mill Street
Sunday, Oct. 15 10:30 a.m. – talent show on the Common noon – Giant Pumpkin Drop (Depot Street, across from the post office) 1 p.m. – pie eating contest on Mill Street 2 p.m. – mini pumpkin race for 50/50 raffle on the river 3 p.m. – Giant Pumpkin Regatta at the river
Original play shows family through the generations
By Renee Merchant arts@hippopress.com
Two local playwrights, Toby Tarnow of Hollis and Ellen Cunis of Amherst, share a personal story about family, community and strong women in their original play The Big White House on Main Street. The play premieres at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts in Milford on Thursday, Oct. 19.
The play begins with two Italian immigrants moving to Massachusetts in the 1920s to pursue their dream of opening a cafe and starting a family. Spanning five decades, The Big White House on Main Street is a piece of historical fiction inspired by Cunis’s parents and grandparents, who all lived together in a big white house.
Cunis said her grandparents owned the house and it was split into four apartments. Her grandparents lived in one apartment, her family in another, and her aunts and uncles lived in the other two.
“It was a place of community … music, and laughter,” she said. “We would sit on the steps of the big white house and sing.”
While The Big White House on Main Street is not a musical, Cunis said that there is spontaneous singing and dancing throughout the play, echoing the musical traditions of her family during her upbringing.
Cunis began to write her story as a children’s book. When she shared it with Tarnow, whom she had worked with in the past, Tarnow recalls saying, “I can see it — it’s a play, let’s do it.”
“The only pieces [from the children’s book] that remain are some of the narration,” Cunis said.
During their writing process, Tarnow is often at the computer, capturing the story, while Cunis acts out the scenes, which they said can be an emotional experience.
“Then we’re both crying, and we’re both laughing,” Tarnow said. “We’re both living it.”
Tarnow said that she pictures the set, the lighting and the sound, and she adds those elements into the script.
“Our plays flow one scene into another and we use lighting to create our moods and our scene changes,” Cunis said.
“It runs like a movie,” Tarnow added.
In all of their plays, Tarnow directs while Cunis acts — a dynamic that shapes their storytelling process.
“Those personas will always be a part of who we are, so they come out in the play through the writing,” Cunis said.
Tarnow said she takes an actor-focused approach to directing.
“I want to see what they feel and how they want to express the character,” she said. It’s a process, she said, of trusting the actor to become the character and then fine-tuning it.
Instead of telling an actor what their character should do in a scene, Tarnow said she asks them questions like, “What is your goal in this scene?” to help them elicit genuine emotion.
In this play, Cunis is the narrator — a departure from her work in other plays in which she portrayed characters within the story.
“It’s very different for me because the narrator is outside of the story,” she said. “So the challenge is to feel it. It’s not just saying words or setting up the story; it’s actually feeling it in the moment, which presents a challenge because it can be emotional.”
Writing and producing this play, Cunis said, has been filled with personal reflection, and a journey into the heart of her past. “It takes me to a place of great appreciation for the simple things in life — for family, for living in that house — and sharing that experience with people.”
The Big White House on Main Street When: Thursday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 21, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m., and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday Where: The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors More info: thebigwhitehouseonmainstreet.com
Featured photo: Tarnow, left, and Cunis, right. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Art in the City: The Manchester Arts Commission is hosting an Open Studios & Art Walk on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participating galleries include Studioverne, Fine Art Fused Glass, Creative Framing Solutions, Mosaic Art Collective, See Saw Art, Brandy Patterson, Jason Baggetta, AR Workshop Manchester, Susanne Peterson Larkham and The Factory On Willow, according to the group’s Facebook page. Downtown visitors who find at least 10 of 14 pigeon mini-murals can also enter a drawing for gift cards to local businesses, according to a press release. Maps will be available for pick up in front of City Hall on Elm Street; an online map will be available on Saturday, Oct. 14, via the Commission’s Facebook page. Also, the Commission’s City Employee & Family Art Show is on display now at City Hall. The exhibit, which will run through Nov. 30, features works by dozens of artists — photos, paintings, ceramics and more, according to a press release.
Brigadoon The Manchester Community Theatre Players will offer a modern take on the Learner & Lowe Broadway classic Brigadoon for the next two weekends. The show, which features classic songs like “Almost Like Being in Love” and “Bonnie Jean,” will run Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 22, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for ages 18 and under. Purchase tickets at mctp.info or at the door.
On stage this weekend: The Nashua Theatre Guild will present The Laramie Project Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua). The play tells the story of the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Wyoming, the aftermath and the trial of the men accused of killing Shepard, according to a press release. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 65+ and students; purchase tickets at nashuatheatreguild.org.
Versa-Style Dance The Los Angeles-based Versa-Style Dance Company brings its blend of hip-hop, popping, lock, krump, salsa, merengue and cumbia dance styles to Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com) on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. Their latest show, “Freemind Freestyle,” is performed to remixes of hip-hop, classical and electronic music, according to a press release. Tickets cost $25.
Crafts and corn: The Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road (Route 155) in Lee; nhcornmaze.com, 659-3572) will host an Artisan Craft Fair Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out the handmade offerings from local artisans and then head to the farm’s corn maze, also open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the fair is free; admission to the corn maze costs $10 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 5 to 12 and for 65+ as well as military and college students (ages 4 and under get in for free).
Halloween craft: Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., junction of Routes 3 and 4, Boscawen; twiggsgallery.org, 975-0015) will offer a free Halloween make & take on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Mixed media artist Shela Cunningham will lead the activity making spooky bookmarks. The event is free with all of the materials supplied, according to a press release.
Lizzie Dive In Productions will present the punk rock opera Lizzie, about Lizzie Borden and the murders of her father and stepmother, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) Friday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 5. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and students.
Dancing, music and the iconic red boots will take the stage for The Palace Theatre’s production of Kinky Boots from Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5.
“Ever since the Kinky Boots musical was on Broadway [in 2013], it has just been one of those big, splashy, exciting musicals that many people would go see,” said Shane Hurst, the assistant director of the production at the Palace. “Time and time again it has proven to be, first of all, very entertaining and just a good musical, but then it also brings in a lot of different types of audience members. … It is a story of friendship, perseverance [and] about celebrating who you are and accepting other people.”
On the brink of bankruptcy, things don’t look great for Charlie Price and his men’s shoe factory. He fears he will have to close his doors, until he meets a drag queen named Lola.
“Through a series of circumstances they begin a friendship, and Lola tells Charlie that there is not a big retailer of drag queen professionally made boots,” Hurst said. “Charlie kind of has a spark in his brain and takes that back to the factory and says, ‘We can save the factory if we just pivot a little bit.’ Instead of making men’s shoes, which isn’t going so well for them, they rebrand and Charlie and Lola come up with the name ‘Kinky Boots’ and start manufacturing professionally made, sturdy, danceable drag queen boots.”
The musical, the book written by Harvey Fierstein and the music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, has won six Tony Awards and a Grammy. The Palace Theatre is pulling out all the stops with a video wall on the back wall of the theater, and a bigger-than-ever costume budget allowing for multiple costume changes, sequins, glitter, wigs and makeup, Hurst says.
“No matter who you are, you are going to find yourself on stage and relate to one of the characters in the show. I think it’s a show that very carefully changes an audience’s mind,” he said. “I think a lot of people are going to go in with the word ‘kinky’ and think it’s going to be a sexy, bold, brassy show — which it is — but behind all of that glitter is a lot of heart and a beautiful story about love and loving your neighbor.”
Kinky Boots Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester When: Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5; showtimes on Fridays are 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., plus Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Cost: Tickets range from $28 to $49
Featured photo: Kinky Boots dress rehearsal. Courtesy photos.
The state of NH’s bat population and what people can do to help
Bat Week, an international celebration and week of awareness for bats, runs from Tuesday, Oct. 24 through Halloween. While bats are a standard of Halloween scene-setting, many species of bats spend this time of year through mid-April hibernating in caves and mines. There, they face a threat — a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome that has, in addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, nearly obliterated the bat population in New Hampshire.
Bats in peril
“I wouldn’t call any of our bat species common because they all have threats to their population that result in population decline over the last 15 years or so,” said Haley Andreozzi, a wildlife conservation state specialist with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “We have eight species of bats in the state of New Hampshire and all of them are what we consider species of greatest conservation need, which means they’ve been identified in the state wildlife action plan as species that warrant special concern.”
Half of these species, the little brown bat, eastern-small footed bat, tricolored bat and the northern long-eared bat, are all state endangered, the last of which is also federally threatened. The other species in the state include the big brown bat, the hoary bat, the silver-haired bat and the eastern red bat.
According to Sandra Houghton, wildlife diversity biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, maternity colonies begin to disperse and head to their winter locations in mid-to-late August. Andreozzi says that the hoary bat, eastern red bat and the silver hair bat head south while the rest hibernate in the New England area, mostly Vermont and New York, in caves and mines, where they face the threat of acquiring white-nose syndrome.
“White-nose syndrome was first found in New Hampshire in 2009 and it really has decimated bat populations in the state for those species that spend the winter hibernating in caves and mines,” Andreozzi said. “Their populations have seen declines of [around] 99 percent … in the last 14 years since the occurrence of white-nose syndrome in the state.”
The conditions that are ideal for this fungus to spread are the same that are ideal for bats to hibernate: damp, 40-degree cave environments. The white fungus can be on an affected bat’s ears, wings, tail or nose, and while the fungus itself doesn’t directly result in a bat’s death, it leads to abnormal behaviors that do.
Little Brown Bat. Photo by Ann Froschauer.
“Bats are typically what we consider true hibernators; they’re really doing everything they can to expend very little to no energy in the winter months,” Andreozzi said. “They’re really kind of shutting down their bodies to make it through the winter so they don’t require any fuel, because their major food source, which is insects, isn’t available in winter. This fungus causes them to become more active and is really forcing them to use up fat stores that they otherwise really rely on to get through those winter months.”
Impacted bats will sometimes fly out of their hibernation sites into the cold to look for food and water and face the risk of freezing or starving to death. As with many wildlife species, Andreozzi notes, habitat loss and fragmentation pose further threats to bat populations.
“As development and human population has increased, we’ve seen an increase in habitat loss and fragmentation that’s had negative consequences for those species and populations,” she said.
Bats in the ecosystem
Losing the bat population could have negative impacts ecologically and economically.
In tropical areas, bats are very important pollinators for flowering plants, according to Andreozzi. Here, in more northern parts, their primary role is different.
“They eat a ton of insects and here in New Hampshire bats are actually the greatest predator of night flying insects that we have, and that’s because they have extremely high energy,” she said. “It takes a ton of energy for them to fly and so they’re typically eating half their body weight every night in insects, but even more if they’re a female who’s nursing pups.”
According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, this can equate to 1,500 mosquitoes per bat per night. They also feed on agricultural pests, providing a pest control service valued at $3.7 billion annually according to an analysis mentioned on the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website. One of the best things people can do to help bats combat the effects of white-nose, according to Andreozzi, is simply let them be and help maintain their habitat. Disturbing them during hibernation and rousing them can threaten their survival during the winter. During the summer, bats’ roosting sites vary depending on the species, eastern small-footed bats preferring hillside or cliffs and northern long-eared bats roosting in cracks in trees or crevices under tree bark. Others, like the big brown bat and the little brown bat, have adapted to using human structures.
“We encourage people to let bats exists where they have for centuries, which is in their barn or other outbuilding, so if someone has bats in their barn, shed or even their attic [if] it’s in a place where it’s not bothering them and there’s no human health concern,” Andreozzi said. “It’s really become an important, valuable bat habitat … and there is a way that bats and people can coexist if there’s no chance of direct contact with humans.”
If you meet a bat…
If you do come in contact with a bat, it’s important to take the right measures. While bats have a reputation for carrying rabies, they don’t carry rabies at a higher rate than any other mammal. Andreozzi says the issue with bat bites versus another animal, like a raccoon, is that their bites are so small you might not even notice you were bitten.
“Any case where a bat is found in a living space, like with a sleeping child [or] some other considerations, it needs to be treated as if the bat does have rabies regardless, and then you should get in touch with the department of health and human services through the state,” Andreozzi said.
If there is no chance of contact and you just wish to remove a bat from your house, she recommends turning off all the lights and opening a window and allowing the bat to fly out on its own. If that doesn’t work or the circumstances are more complicated, you can hire a licensed wildlife control professional for help.
Bat hospitality
Instead of sharing yours, there’s also the option of making bats a home of their own.
“People can install a bat house, which is basically an artificial roost structure,” Andreozzi said.
It’s not as simple as putting up a wooden box and hoping for the best, she says. There are specific features that make a bat house successful.
“You want them to be large, you want them to be dark in color, ideally facing south or southeast so they get really hot, because that’s what the bats are looking for,” Andreozzi said.
According to Bat Conservation International’s “The Bat House Builder’s Handbook,” the chambers of a bat house should be a minimum of 20 inches tall and 14 inches wide to be successful with at least one chamber. The bigger the house, and the more chambers it has, the better. While it’s important for the houses to be hot, ventilation slots are needed to prevent overheating when the average temperature in July is 85 degrees or higher. Having at least three chambers will likely be better at providing appropriate temperature ranges and will be more suitable for a larger number of bats and nursing colonies, according to the guide.
“You want them pretty high off the ground, typically more than 12 feet high or so,” Andreozzi said.
The guide says that bats are better able to find bat houses when they are mounted on poles or buildings as opposed to trees. This is also a more attractive location, as bat houses on trees will likely receive less sun and be more vulnerable to predation. Positioning them under an eave is a way to protect them from both predators and rain.
“With proper specifications and installation practices, those bat houses can be successful,” Andreozzi said. “They’re not always, but they do get occupied by bats pretty regularly when installed around the state.”
Bat Conservation International has further information on building and installing successful bat houses.
If building your own doesn’t sound like your thing, you can always purchase one and install it. In addition, there are other measures you can take when caring for your property.
“People can maintain or enhance bat habitat on their property or in their communities,” Andreozzi said. “Bats are using forested areas for roosting [and are] really interested in some of these dead trees we call ‘snags,’ these dead standing trees or cavity trees, so leaving some of those on the landscape can be beneficial.”
Other ways to be more “bat friendly,” according to Bat Conservation International, include opting for organic practices in your garden instead of using pesticides and remedial timber treatment agents, both of which can poison bats, and planting native plants and moth hosting plants that will attract native insects, noting that white and light-colored flowers are especially attractive to nighttime pollinators. On a larger scale, Andreozzi adds that conserving large areas of land that are ideal for foraging near ponds and streams is also helpful.
Another way people can help is by participating in UNH Cooperative Extension and New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Bat Counts program.
Northern Long-eared Bat. Photo by Al Hicks.
“Bat counts take about an hour and a half in an evening, starting a half hour before dusk, and volunteers are asked to conduct at least one count in June and one count in July, though they can count more frequently than that if desired,” Andreozzi said in an email. “The data collected helps us understand where bats currently live in New Hampshire and in what numbers, as well as help us learn more about the site characteristics where bats exist and are maybe even thriving.” In the 2022 Bat Count, 3,777 bats were counted, according to data provided by Andreozzi.
Training for the counts take place in May or June every year both virtually and in person. If interested, you can visit wildlife.nh.gov. For more information on upcoming sessions and training opportunities, as well as summer bat count results, you can sign up for the NH Bat Counts newsletter.
Bats of New Hampshire
The following information comes from the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan.
Big brown bat Big brown bats have three habitat types: forests, buildings and caves or mines. They can be found statewide in all forests, but are unlikely to be found in forests at high elevations. Forests with wetland, streams or other openings offer sites for foraging. During their active season, they use trees for day and night roosting and buildings for night and maternity roosting. During hibernation, they will use insulated buildings, caves, mines and artificial subterranean structures. Their habitat is highly threatened due to habitat conversion and the evicting bats out of buildings. Their bigger size and ability to hibernate in buildings means they are not quite as affected by white-nose syndrome as other hibernating bat species.
Little brown bat Like big brown bats, little brown bats live in forests, buildings and caves or mines and can be found anywhere in the state in different kinds of forests, but likely not in ones of high elevation. Their population has been greatly affected by white-nose syndrome, and they also have a high risk rating for human disturbances in their hibernation habitats.
Tricolored bat Tricolored bats hibernate in caves and mines, and occasionally in other structures, but there is no data available about where they roost during the summer in New Hampshire. Data from the Midwest shows that they are generally a foliage-roosting species, with females from maternity colonies living in the dead foliage of deciduous trees, particularly oak and maple.
Silver-haired bat The biggest threat to silver-haired bats is not white-nose syndrome — they migrate south in the fall — but wind turbines and habitat loss. Findings in their habitat studies have varied but it seems they typically roost in tree hollows and deep cavities in early to moderately decayed tall trees.
Northern long-eared bat Northern long-eared bats rely on caves and mines for hibernation — often in crevices or on the surface of walls and ceilings — and also use them year-round. They also roost in trees, both alive and dead. High-ranking threats for them are disturbance from humans as well as white-nose syndrome.
Eastern red bat Eastern red bats are another species that head south for the winter. They spend their New Hampshire summers roosting in tree foliage high off the ground in a variety of large deciduous trees near permanent water sources. They may roost closer to the ground when roosting in fragmented habitats like urban areas and farmland. Their biggest threats are habitat loss and wind turbines.
Hoary bat As with many other migrating bat species, the biggest threat facing hoary bats are wind turbines and habitat loss. While in New Hampshire for the summer, they roost in tree foliage, often woodpecker holes or squirrel nests and in branches sheltered by foliage about 12.7 meters off the ground.
Eastern small-footed bat Eastern small-footed bats live in rocky outcrops in the summer and in caves or mines in the winter. Their species status is not well known, but they have been caught in southern parts of the state during the summer months. They prefer colder hibernation temperatures and seem to arrive at their hibernation spot later and leave earlier than most other bat species, where the threat rank is high for disturbance from humans. One known winter site is the abandoned Mascot Lead Mine, which has stability concerns and accumulation debris, putting it at risk of collapsing.
