Roger Kalia’s last performance as Music Director of Symphony NH will happen next May when he conducts a program with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Copland’s Symphony No. 3, which is often called the American Symphony. After that, he’ll leave to take a similar position with the Terre Haute Symphony, his second such role in Indiana.
Along the way, there’s a stellar season ahead, with many of the Maestro’s favorites. To begin, Symphony NH will offer a heavenly program on Oct. 27, with Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Both are meditations on the hereafter, and each will feature a solo from soprano Carley DeFranco.
“It’s always a special event when you can do a Mahler symphony,” Kalia said by phone recently, adding that it is unique in that it will be performed by a smaller chamber orchestra. “Not the typical bombastic, big, super-romantic Mahler … this is more classical, more light, if you will, in character. So it works nicely for a chamber.”
They’ll use a special arrangement composed by Ian Farrington. “Everyone’s a soloist,” Kalia said. “It’s essentially one player on a part in the woodwinds and brass [and] a smaller string section than normally you would have in the original Mahler symphonies; I think it’s about 25 musicians or so … I’m excited to feature the orchestra in that way.”
The rest of the season is equally adventurous. On Nov. 9 a performance of Beethoven’s influential Third Symphony will be a learn-and-listen affair. The evening will begin with snippets from the piece, known as Eroica (“Heroic”), followed by an exploration of its importance as a symphonic masterpiece.
“I’ll dive into it and share insights into what made it so revolutionary and groundbreaking,” Kalia said. “we’re also going to play short pieces from other symphonies of Beethoven, some Mozart … works that inspired the Eroica. I’m very excited; we’ve never done that sort of thing before here in New Hampshire.”
Another unique concert happens next March at Nashua Community College: Serenade of the Winds, which will showcase Symphony NH’s woodwind and brass musicians for the first time.
“Typically, you always have a full orchestra, or you just have the strings,” Kalia explained. “This gives an opportunity to highlight the winds in really fantastic works — the Mozart Gran partita, the Dvorak serenade for winds. We’re also doing the Mendelssohn Overture for Winds, which is rarely performed, and we have a special encore surprise.”
One thing that will be absent this season is the Keefe Auditorium. While Kalia allowed that Symphony NH will miss the Nashua venue’s expansive stage, he’s happy there are other venues that can accommodate big orchestra works, like the Capitol Center’s Chubb Auditorium. He’s also happy to be in newer spaces like the Rex in Manchester, Concord’s BankNH Stage and Nashua Center for the Arts, where they open the season.
“We’re fortunate that this gives us the opportunity to play throughout the state,” he said. “I think that’s wonderful because we are Symphony New Hampshire. However, at the same time, we had a dedicated audience at the Keefe. That is a little bit challenging in the sense that we’re going to miss that audience.”
Finally, Maestro Kalia will bid farewell with a performance that includes one of his all-time favorite works, Rhapsody in Blue, with accompaniment from Chinese pianist Fei-Fei. “I’ve done it with her a few times, this piece,” he said. “She has such an energetic and musical interpretation. I think our audiences are going to love her.”
Kalia is keen to end “in epic fashion … it should be a nice way to close the season and my tenure as Music Director.” He hinted, however, that fans could see him again. “I don’t want to say this is goodbye … I do hope to return again in future seasons and work with the orchestra on a guest conducting basis.”
Symphony NH performs Mahler 4 – Visions of Heaven featuring soprano Carley DeFranco When: Sunday, Oct. 27, 4 p.m. Where: Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua Tickets: $32 and up at symphonynh.org
Nick Lavallee talks chicken tenders, action figures, music and joy
For someone who’s never held office and does not aspire to, Nick Lavallee knew what to do when he got up to speak at the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting in early December 2022. He was a man on a mission to foster pride in his home city via its signature dish, the chicken tender.
If the Island of Misfit Toys ever were to produce a food item, it would be the culinary masterpiece invented in the Puritan Backroom 50 years ago. Before Charlie Pappas decided to marinade, lightly bread and deep fry his first tenderloin, it was a castoff piece of the bird. Now, it’s the Backroom’s biggest seller.
The “tendie” is also a staple at restaurants throughout the city — and beyond. That’s why Lavallee implored the board to make it official. “Chicago is home to deep dish pizza; Detroit is known for its Mom’s Spaghetti. Manchester should be synonymous with the chicken tender,” he told them.
A little over seven months later, he stood on the pitcher’s mound at Delta Dental Stadium as the Fisher Cats were renamed the Chicken Tenders for one game. Beside him was a signed proclamation from Mayor Joyce Craig declaring Manchester the Chicken Tender Capital of the World.
Lavallee’s successful crusade was just one of his many efforts to build up his home city’s self-esteem, and boosterism has driven him for almost as long as he’s lived here. To hear him tell it, relentless positivity is a form of personal self-repair as well.
“I wanted to give Manchester a reason to believe in itself,” he said of what motivated him to speak that chilly December night, an act initially greeted with chuckles by city leaders. “I’ve learned to believe in myself along the way.”
It wouldn’t be his last trip to a municipal meeting.
In early October, Lavallee spoke in support of Eighty Eight Coffee Co., a Manchester business facing eminent domain and seeking a better deal from the city. “It’s more than a craft coffee shop,” he said, wearing a Stay Joyful ballcap. “It’s a community gathering space, one that is unfortunately rare to find in the largest city in New Hampshire.”
A few days before the meeting, the city had increased its offer to align with an independent appraisal done by Eighty Eight’s owners, but he hoped that his input would compel a closer look at the other costs of forcing the shop from its Queen City Avenue location.
The list of Lavallee’s successes in promoting his hometown continues to grow. A recent New York Times story that was teased on the front page and filled the cover of the Food Section was the result of Lavallee’s chicken championing.
Of course, the Paper of Record strove for fairness and balance in the story. “An icon of simple, straightforward, unpretentious American taste,” Pete Wells wrote of the tender, “it can also be an expression of dull, unadventurous food engineered for the lowest common denominator.” Whatever. Wells gave Nick Lavallee, man of the people, the final word on whether his home city deserves its self-declared title. “It’s a silly idea … but you ask yourself: Is it true? Yes. Is it important? Sure. Manchester has had an identity problem. Why not point out the things worth celebrating?”
Nick at The Puritan Restaurant. Photo by Michael Witthaus.
It’s fair to call him the Mayor of Tender Town, but Nick’s no politician. He’s a cheerleader, and beyond that, he’s walking the walk. Lavallee’s latest endeavor is a Wicked Joyful retail space located in Queen City Center, a mixed-use facility that’s under construction at 21 Canal St. It is due to open next May.
It’s been a long journey for the creative polymath, who has at various points of his life performed in punk rock bands, toured the country doing comedy, and promoted shows in downtown Manchester along with running his pop culture business — all while holding down a day job in community media.
Lavallee’s toughest road, though, was the one to happiness. Like a lot of artists, he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, especially in his standup days. Maybe a better way to describe it is fierce ambition that more than a few mistook for something darker.
“The folks who own Vermont Comedy Club once told me, ‘When we met you, you appeared kind of mean’ — and I was in a good mood!” he recalled. “I feel like what was in my head was not what I could translate to people, whereas I’d like to think when people meet me now, it’s significantly different.”
It is, and most agree that the line of demarcation was Lavallee’s giving up alcohol in 2015.
Jenny Zigrino knew him when both were starting out in the comedy world in the late 2000s, when she recalls him being competitive and intense. “A Townie feel … it was Nick against the world,” she said by phone from New York City. “We were comedy friends … later, we became friend friends.”
The friendship, Zigrino continued, “really blossomed around like 2017, after he’d gotten sober and had a new-lease-on -life kind of vibe. I think he was just taking care of himself more. I think that being sober really was the key to him changing.”
Lavallee also lost a lot of weight, and he shifted his outlook from ruminating to radiating happy energy. On his socials, he urged followers to “stay joyful.” Much of his attention went to writing songs for Donaher, the pop punk band he formed with Tristan Omand, Lee Sevigny and Adam Wood in 2017.
It’s said that great art requires suffering, but Lavallee took a novel approach to coming up with material for his band’s first album, I Swear My Love Is True. Six months sober, he began a relationship one June knowing it would end in August, when the object of his affection moved across the country.
“It was a one-summer stand,” he said. “When I met her I was like, ‘Oh my God, I want to write pop songs for you all summer, and she said, ‘What about when I move?’ I said, ‘Then the songs will get better’ and she said, ‘Deal.’ And they did!”
There was, he continued, another reason for the exercise. “It was true heartbreak, but it was wild because as much pain as I was in, I was so happy to feel that hurt because I was sober,” he said. “It was a weird test, and it may not have been emotionally responsible. But, at the same time, I never turned to alcohol. I was thankful for the relationship because she enabled my continued sobriety.”
Nick Lavallee with Weatherman Al and his custom pop culture figurine. Courtesy photo.
In 2019, Nick began augmenting action figures picked up at tag sales and secondhand stores to reflect pop culture moments. He’d repaint a discarded GI Joe as Rivers Cuomo of Weezer or Eddie Murphy in The Golden Child, create humorous packaging, stick an ersatz price tag on the finished work of art, and post a photo of it to Instagram.
He called the venture Wicked Joyful, the name a triple entendre that found its way into his brain and wouldn’t leave. “It represents yin and yang, the salty and sweet of being a New England guy,” he said, “and, I think, my sense of humor. That’s me. I’m wicked joyful.”
The effort began as a way to build an online community.
“It was just going to be a means of sharing photos of vintage toys and developing a following, connecting with people.” Beyond that, he continued, “I was also at a crossroads with stand-up. I was sick of it.”
Along with co-producer Dave Carter, he’d built the Shaskeen Pub into a midweek hub for alt comedy. With national headliners like W. Kamau Bell, Dan Soder, Emma Willmen and Kyle Kinane appearing, they two did more than 400 shows over seven years. Lavallee, however, now saw a different path for his humor. (Lavallee and Carter handed off organizing duties when weekly shows returned mid-2021. Wednesday comedy nights are now run by Sam Mangano – see rubyroom.com for upcoming shows.)
“I loved building the community we had at Shaskeen, but I realized I could do essentially the same thing through this medium of custom action figures,” he said. “I have creative license. This is my thing. I can insert myself in these pieces.”
Early works included Chris D’Elia with an Eminem cultural reference, and John Cusack holding a boom box over his head in Say Anything. People really started to take notice when a piece depicting Bill Burr in his Star Wars spinoff Mandalorian role, with a New England twist, blew up online.
Accessorized with a Dunkin’ cup and a galactic weapon, with consequential Rs lined out and replaced by an H, i.e. “Stah Wahs: Mayfield The Shahp Shootah,” the piece was retweeted by the comic and covered by the Boston Globe. Similarly, John Stamos responded to an action figure of his Full House Uncle Jesse character.
“How was my 2019?” Lavallee wrote on then-Twitter. “John frickin’ Stamos retweeted me.”
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it was a blessing for Lavallee, as it provided him with an excuse to pivot from comedy to his newly growing venture, which he called “a medium that I can communicate my most authentic self with that stand-up could never do for me.”
He was successful at telling jokes and creating hilarious multimedia content. With sobriety, his routine was kinder, gentler and more reflective of his hometown and upbringing. Crowds were warming to him in a new way, but the bits required more self-deprecation than he liked.
“I was getting really burnt out on Nick Lavallee’s name, face, body … my words,” he said, his voice trailing off. “Now I know why so many comedians deal with mental health issues and everything else, because I was dealing with a lot of them myself.”
“It does things to you,” Jenny Zigrino agreed. “You’re only as good as your last set … it can make you toxic. It’s also just a lonely job and Nick thrives on community.”
In January 2020 Lavallee sat on an MSNBC panel during primary season and told a national cable audience, in response to an Ari Melber question, that anyone visiting Manchester should try the chicken tenders. With a second wing added, his high-flying bird took flight.
Over time, he added apparel to the Wicked Joyful product line, beginning with a bright yellow Chicken Tender Capital of the World T-shirt featuring an anthropomorphic tendie perched in a sauce cup that’sa replica of one from the Puritan Backroom. Along with that were fun packs filled with pins and stickers, and more than a few Manchester inside jokes like a Cadillac Motel key fob.
There’s a Tender Town banner, logoed water bottles, holiday ornaments and a flood of action figures, all one of a kind, like the one marking Exeter as New England’s UFO Capital, a tribute to one of his favorite bands The Get Up Kids, and Chappell Roan in her Midwest Princess Lollapalooza suit.
His wares are available online and at street fairs; he did brisk business at this year’s Taco Tour. He’s also at events like the recent Granite State Comicon, where his booth was a few yards away from one run by Dave’s Hot Chicken, a new addition to Manchester.
Wicked Joyful pop-up shops Sunday, Oct. 27, 5 to 7 p.m., at Bookery, 844 Elm St., Manchester Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Garrison City Mini Con, City Hall, Dover Sunday, Dec. 8, noon to 3 p.m. at Merrymaking on West Merrimack, Manchester
Lavallee is amused that both Dave’s and fellow chicken restaurant Raising Cane’s are opening franchises in the city.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” he said. “Why all of a sudden did these two national chains decide to come to Manchester? I mean, the Chicken Tender Initiative got a lot of press.”
He wasn’t telling the whole story. Lavallee was invited to the Dave’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, where he noticed their signature graffiti decor included a nod to his initiative. Later, he chatted with the local franchise owner and learned he was also a fan of Goldenrod Restaurant, the city’s second pillar of tenders, and the Puritan.
“Chicken tenders are deliciously non-divisive and truly bring the people of Manchester together,” Lavallee wrote on Facebook.
Another person who noticed Lavallee’s enterprising civic activism was Travis York, the entrepreneur behind Queen City Center. Early on, he wanted Nick to be a part of it, both for his art and his skill at putting together events, something he still does for Shaskeen rock shows and other venues.
“I’ve admired how multifaceted he is but perhaps most importantly how joyful he seems pursuing and doing those types of things,” York said by phone from his office at GYK Antler, a creative agency located across the parking long from the new development. “I’ve always liked to surround myself with people like that and when Queen City Center as a development project came up … Nick was one of the first guys that came to mind to … be a thought partner to me and the team as we consider how to bring that vision to reality.”
Nick’s experience as a promoter will be valuable at Queen City.
“There’s a multitude of options for where we could host different types of events,” York said. “We have the desire to bring comedy, music and other types of entertainment that might be a bit different than what the city’s drawn in the past.”
In the early 2010s, York and his wife hosted concerts at their home in the North End, many by acts that went on to greater fame. He hopes to bring similar talent to the new venue. “The good thing about Manchester is there are places where people can play and do stuff,” he said. “The challenge is they all kind of serve multi-purposes and are not consistently bringing in talent…. That’s a gap in the market we think we can fill.”
One belief York shares with Lavallee is that the state, “and specifically southern New Hampshire [has] always had a bit of a poor self-esteem, at least in my era. Growing up, I went to West High School in the ’90s [and] like a lot of people I grew up with, I moved away … I didn’t imagine I would be back. I’m certainly glad that I am.”
These days, the narrative is shifting, and more young people are choosing Manchester. Leadership is needed for that to continue.
“People are moving to this area because they want to; they see something better than we believe we have,” York said. “If we can better align the potential of our city with the desires of those coming here, then everybody should win as a result of that.”
He’s happy to have Lavallee as an ally. “Nick has clearly found lanes of his creativity that are very authentic to him,” he said, recalling a conversation when the New York Times story came out. “I said, this is now etched in your obituary. If something, God forbid, happens to you, being behind the chicken tender capital-of-the-world thing is going to be in there.’ He couldn’t have been prouder, and I kind of love that … it’s a positive way of bringing his talents to the world, getting people to engage and be joyful.”
The self-described “compulsive creative” has a newfound ability to prioritize his packed life into something more well-rounded. If he’s behind a microphone, it’s probably a conference on community media, or another municipal meeting. The only time he’s on stage is with Donaher, and he keeps that in perspective.
When they play, it’s usually at a show he organized, and Donaher is down the bill. That’s so he can wrap up early and enjoy watching his friends play — he’s usually near the front of the stage, dancing like a fan. Another reason is it gives him an early bedtime if he needs one.
Music is more a pastime than a profession. “The band’s a bowling league. I’m comfortable saying that, and I think the guys would say the same. Tristan’s a dad, we’ve got jobs, we’ve got significant others. There are no illusions of grandeur there.”
Like everything else in Lavallee’s life, the main goal is to stay joyful.
“It’s nice to know that once a week or a few times a month, I have three friends I get to hang out with,” he said. “It’s four dudes who love playing music that are fighting having to be in a cover band, because that’s where a lot of people end up as they get older…. We’re still playing original music.”
Crucially, his head and heart are finally aligned with his hopeful love songs. “I wrote a lot of them years ago, but they’ve found new meaning,” he said. Joyfully, there’s a reason for this rediscovery.
Nick at Comic Con. Photo by Michael Witthaus.
Nearly a decade beyond the self-induced emotional shock treatment of his first sober summer, Nick is in a healthy relationship. Before his band roared into their third song on a recent Friday evening at the Shaskeen, he took a moment to acknowledge the woman he’s been with for the past three years.
Over an order of Puritan tenders the previous week, he’d shared that they met when she was working at a restaurant across the street from the Shaskeen. After setting up the weekly comedy show, he’d go there for dinner. He’d flirt and she’d defer, but he eventually got her number.
This began a two-year friendship that, coincidentally or not, bridged his time in and out of comedy. Then one night she strolled into the Shaskeen back room as his band was packing up. That’s the memory he recalled to introduce his song “Let Me Know” that Friday night.
“Three years ago, to the day, my best friend came to a Donaher show and asked, ‘Is it too late to say I’m in love with you?’ and I said, ‘definitely not.’ Then we made out, right over there.” He pointed to a spot near the merch table. “So I’d like to dedicate this song to Gina.”
In conversation, he’s giddy. “I’m the luckiest guy on the planet, I love her. It’s true I had to go through all that, but this relationship I have with Gina is super healthy and we’re evolving together … she’s helping me grow in so many ways.”
One thing that won’t change for Nick Lavallee is his commitment to his hometown, and to making sure that everyone’s a winner. To that end, he’ll never name a favorite tender and won’t endorse any effort that aims to crown a champion, making the case that a healthy argument helps everyone.
“If someone’s proclaimed the best in any official capacity, we lose a core part of our identity … the discussion is over,” he said, summoning the clam pie pizza capital of the world in Connecticut. “No one in New Haven is going to say Frank Pepe’s or Sally’s is definitively the best. You have to keep that conversation going.”
Finality, he concluded, contradicts “the spirit of everyone who’s ever lived here; when people come in, you want them trying everybody’s chicken tender. It’s an economic boost to tourism. As long as I’m carrying the torch of Tendertown, USA, I hope there’s never a competition.”
Donaher shows Friday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m., Auspicious Brew, Dover, with 5Ever and Lovewell; all ages Sunday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m., Taffetta Music Hall, Lowell, Mass., with Keep Flying, Don’t Panic, Eternal Boy; 18+ Tuesday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m., Penuches, Concord, Donaher New Years Eve Show, 21+
Ailey II will perform at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St, Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7:30. This year marks the dance company’s 50th year of presenting the country’s finest early-career dancers with emerging choreographers. Tickets start at $49.
Thursday, Oct. 24
It Can’t Happen Here, a play by Sinclair Lewis, will be presented in an enhanced staged reading by the Community Players of Concord today and tomorrow, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at the West Street Ward House (41 West St., Concord, 225-8690). In 1936, as fascism was taking hold in Europe, Sinclair Lewis wrote It Can’t Happen Here, a satiric novel that imagines the rise of a demagogue who becomes president of the United States. Admission is free and donations to support the Community Players will be gratefully accepted. Seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 25
The New Hampshire Coin and Currency Expo (nhcoinexpo.com) will take place at the Doubletree Expo Center (700 Elm St., Manchester) today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the biggest multiple-day coin show in New England. Visitors are encouraged to attend the show early to be able to see the most dealers. Tickets are $7 each day of the Expo; a two-day pass is $13. Children under 18 get in free. Veterans and active military get in free with ID.
Friday, Oct. 25
Iconic band 10,000 Maniacs will perform tonight at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) at 7:30 p.m. This live show embraces the band’s entire catalog, and the lineup is anchored by four of the six original members. Tickets start at $39 through the Center’s website.
Saturday, Oct. 26
The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) will host Jesus Aguaje Ramos and his Buena Vista Orchestra tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, under the direction of Ramos and featuring key players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club, continues the legacy of the legendary group with an exciting new stage production and a repertoire pulled from the greatest hits (many of which Ramos composed) and deep-dive cuts. Tickets start at $49 through the Center’s website.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Join Kenneth Gloss, internationally known rare book specialist and appraiser, for a Rare Book Discussion at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org) today, beginning at 6 p.m. Ken will talk about the “improbable finds” of his decades-long career and discuss the value of old and rare books. Register at derrypl.org or call 432-6140.
Save the Date! Saturday, Nov. 2 Classic ’80s band Duran Duran will play the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester, Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The band’s hits include “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Ordinary World” and “Rio.” Tickets start at $46.50 and are available at SNHUareana.com.
Manchester City Library patrons are still feeling the effects of a water pipe leak that flooded part of the Pine Street building in early September. As of Oct. 21, the library’s website still noted that while elevator access to the main floor is back, “Some areas of the library collection are still unavailable. These include Nonfiction: 400-999, Reference, World Languages, and Biographies.”
QOL score: -2
Comment: While browsing opportunities are curtailed, specific books may be requested for cardholders from nearby libraries that are part of the GMILCS consortium.
Remembering Scipio Page
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, in partnership with the Dunbarton Historical Awareness Committee dedicated a historical marker to commemorate Scipio Page at Page’s Cemetery at 339 Stark Highway North in Dunbarton on Oct. 19. “A key African American soldier, Scipio fought in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War and later served as a captain of a regional Black militia. … The event featured a military color guard, a fiddle performance, and special treats baked from recipes from the 1800s that Scipio might have enjoyed,” according to an email about the event from the Black Heritage Trail.
QOL score: +1
Comment:Find a list of Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire marker sites, including the four unveiled in 2024, at blackheritagetrailnh.org.
Three bedrooms, three bathrooms and dinosaurs
For Realtor Jonathan Benton, the secret to generating interest in one of his listings has been to stage photos of the property with inflatable dinosaurs. According to an Oct. 13 online article in the Boston Globe, “In one image, [a] dinosaur is pictured swinging from a tire in the backyard. In another, two dinosaurs — computer software was used to create additional images — are baking cookies in the kitchen.” An Oct. 18 article on Realtor.com quoted Benton: “We had an instant response with showings requested within a half an hour of uploading the photos.”
QOL score: +1
Comment: The Zillow listing for the property describes it as a “wooded gem with a Dino-mite two car garage and finished basement!”
Dunka-whole-lotte
Dunkin’s Iced Dunkalatte, a drink announced in late summer/early fall, is apparently more popular than expected. The drink of Rhode Island fave coffee milk plus espresso is such a sippable treat that by the time QOL attempted to get a second Dunkalatte in early October (the first one was quite tasty), some outlets in southern New Hampshire and northern Mass. Dunkin’ were saying that the drink was not available. According to Dunkin’ spokesperson Gabby Camacho, the official word is as follows: “The buzz around the Dunkalatte has been overwhelming! Due to high demand, we’re running low — but stay tuned, the Dunkalatte will be back before you know it. For the latest updates, we encourage guests to check availability with their local Dunkin’ via the mobile app.”
QOL score: -1, for asking the caffeine-dependent to be patient
Comments:You can attempt making your own variation with coffee milk or coffee syrup (2 tablespoons per 8 ounces of milk, according to the Autocrat coffee syrup bottle).
The Big Story – Celtics Return: Banner 18 went to the rafters Tuesday night to let the Celtics reclaim the top spot for most titles won in NBA history. They then began their quest (vs. the Knicks) to put distance between them and the Lakers in their historical race for NBA supremacy by repeating to win No. 19 this year. They’ll have to do it with KristapsPorzingis missing around 30 games and in a much improved Conference where the Knicks, 76ers and Pacers will be significantly better. But that’s the fun part. So buckle up.
Sports 101: Name the four players who won NBA titles with three different teams. Hint: All four won one with the Lakers.
News Item – Drake Maye: His uneven Game 2 during the 32-16 loss to the Jaguars in London was not as good as Game 1, even with no turnovers this time. But in throwing for 270 yards he again clearly showed two things over MacJones, who was on the other sideline Sunday — better athleticism to escape trouble to gain positive yards and a much stronger arm.
News Item – Jets Not Flying High Into Foxboro: Remember what I said when people were giving the Jets a berth in the SB after trading for AaronRodgers — it’s the Jets, something will go wrong. It’s not quite the disaster JoeNamath was going to QB-desperate L.A. at the end of his career. But with them coming to Foxboro this week 2-5 and their coach already fired after Rodgers missed all but four plays last year, it’s not far off.
News Item – Five Interesting NBA Stories to Follow in 2024-25:
The first real NY-Boston basketball rivalry since the early 1970s.
Getting Karl-Anthony Towns for two lesser players makes sense. But will jettisoning one of the Nova 4 be a hit to the Knicks’ team chemistry and backfire? Early returns say no.
In building around soon-to-be-superstar AnthonyEdwards and the KAT trade giving them a deeper, better balanced team, will the T-Wolves be better without KAT than with him?
Who will really be in charge in L.A., 40-year-old first time coach JJ Redick or the younger by eight months LeBron James?
How big will the step forward be for VictorWembanyama and the Spurs in Year 2?
The Numbers:
13 – record-setting consecutive games Dodger MaxMuncy reached base during the 2024 playoffs.
16 – career postseason homers by the Yanks’ GiancarloStanton after hitting five bombs vs. Cleveland in the ALCS to move him past (gulp) BabeRuth on the all-time list.
18 – percent increase in viewers MLB playoffs have enjoyed over 2023, which translates to 3.3 million vs 2.82 million. And now they have the L.A. and New York markets in the Series.
… Of the Week Awards
Har-Har-Har-Dee-Har-Har Award: To ESPN dimwits for ranking the most overrated player in history, KyrieIrving, as the NBA’s 25th best player, ahead of JrueHoliday (34) and DerrickWhite (39), despite both clearly outplaying him in the Finals when Mr. Clutch choked (again) to average an embarrassing 13 points per in the three games played in Boston.
Alumni News – Mookie Betts: He added the first four-RBI day to his extensive playoff resume with a two-run double and a two-run homer in a 10-2 Game 4 cakewalk over the Mets.
Quote of the Week – Coach B: He put a fork in rumors he’s headed there next year by saying on ESPN’s ManningCast in support of the fired RobertSaleh,“Kind of what it’s been there at the Jets. Barely won over 30 percent in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner, just, ready, fire, aim.”
A Little History – Subway Series: It’s been 43 years since the Yankees and the Dodgers met in the World Series. But still, their 12 match-ups — 1941, ’47, ’49, ’52, ’53, ’55, ’56, ’63, ’77, ’78, ’81 and now 2024 — are the most in history. The Yanks hold a 9-3 edge and before the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn in 1958 the first 7 were intra-city affairs known as Subway Series.
Sports 101 Answer: The four who won NBA titles with three different teams are DannyGreen (Spurs, Raptors, Lakers), “Big Shot Bob” RobertHorry (Rockets, Lakers, Spurs), LeBronJames (Heat, Cavs and Lakers) and JohnSalley (Pistons, Bulls and Lakers).
Final Thought – 5 Celtics Predictions:
Burning from his Olympic Team snub JaylenBrown has a monster year.
JaysonTatum gets no added drive from his embarrassing Olympic DNP’s because he doesn’t have that same gene.
Thanks to greater outside shooting consistency PaytonPritchardbecomes a killer nightly scorer off the bench.
LukeKornet surprises even himself with solid play filling in for Porzingis.
They feel the loss of KP in certain games, but still go 61-21 while playing in a tougher conference. Email Dave Long at [email protected].
S.C.A.R.E., Secondhand Costume Annual Redistribution Effort, brings Halloween costumes to those in and around southern New Hampshire who would otherwise go without dressing up for the holiday. They also hold a free haunted house called Spooksville, which opened on Friday, Oct. 18. Jesse Palmer is the “Head Hauntcho” of S.C.A.R.E. and spoke about the charity organization. Visit scarenh.org.
What is SCARE?
SCARE is a 501c3 nonprofit charity that collects Halloween costumes and then we give them to families in need all over New Hampshire for no cost.
How did SCARE get started?
I was out shopping one day and I overheard a little girl ask her mom to get a costume, and mom said, ‘We can’t afford that.’ So when I was checking it out, it was a $20 costume, I was like, wow, that kind of sucks for the family that, unfortunately, this is out of their budget. And so I was talking to my wife about it. My son had started to outgrow his costumes. So we were looking for a place to donate our costumes to so that somebody else could use them. And we couldn’t find one. And after about six months of searching, she told me, well, I do have that option of maybe trying to start one myself, and so I did.
Are there any particular costume items you’re looking for more than others, or is everything just great to have?
Everything is great to have. We give out costumes to everybody, infants all the way up through adults. So even 2X, 3X, if we have them available, they’re welcome to take them if they need them. We do seem to go through a lot more of the large and extra-large kid sizes. …
What is Spooksville?
Spooksville is our haunted house. So we have a group of home haunters who all love Halloween but don’t necessarily have enough stuff to do something on their own or they don’t have a place to do it or they’re just a bit older and they don’t want the hassle of doing everything. So we’ve gotten together and we do a home haunt that we offer freely to the public. … And we change our theme every year. This year it is ‘nightmares.’ So once they make it through the haunted corn maze, they’ll finally get into the haunted house itself, where everything that goes bump in the night is waiting for them.
Where is it located and when can people visit?
At 1 Cheshire St. in Nashua. It’s about five minutes off of Exit 6 to head toward Hollis. There’ll be signs and everything, once we put them out you really can’t miss it at that point. On Fridays, we run 7 to 9. On Saturdays we run 6 to 9. Halloween will also be 6 to 9. And then we do kid-friendly Sundays, …and that goes 10 to 2. We’ll have costumes available here at the house for anybody that’s still looking to get costumes for Halloween.
If people are interested in donating costumes, where can they give them to you?
We recommend that they come and check out the Haunt…. So they get a two-for-one deal, they can drop off their costumes and they can check out the haunted house. If not, they can just message us at [email protected], which is the email that we use for the charity, and we make arrangements for a pickup or a meet-up or something of the sort. They can donate all year round. They can volunteer all year round. We do Halloween all year round.
What are some of the more interesting costumes at SCARE that have been donated?
The more interesting stuff comes when it tends to be homemade versus store-bought So we’ve had one that came in that looked like Thomas the Tank Engine. That was a homemade costume. We have some various adult costumes that are like Medusa or a crazy doctor … They tend to be a lot more gory when they’re homemade. — Zachary Lewis
Get SCAREd Spookville Haunt 2024 1 Cheshire St., Nashua Fridays: 7 to 9 p.m. Saturdays: 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Halloween night 6 to 9 p.m. Free
Costume Distribution Manchester Police Athletic League 409 Beech St, Manchester Monday, Oct. 28, from 3 to 6 p.m.
