N E W H A M P S H I R E M AG A Z I N E
Mt. Washington Auto Road: The Climb to the Clouds Road Race
Granite State Theater Is Back and Ready to Entertain You
312 READERS’
JULY 2021
& EDITORS’ PICKS IN HUNDREDS OF CATEGORIES
BEST OF NH WINNERS CLIMB TO THE CLOUDS
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July 2021
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Why wait when YOU COULD ANTICIPATE? The Baldwin is now accepting reservations for new apartment homes. So, while others sit by the phone waiting (and waiting) for a spot to open at an existing Life Plan Community or CCRC, you could have the satisfaction of knowing The Baldwin’s plans include building an all-new apartment home with your name on it. (Not to mention your custom choices.) But with momentum building, the most popular floor plans are close to selling out. So, say goodbye to the wait list and get on the anticipate list.
Call The Baldwin today at 603.404.6080 or go to TheBaldwinNH.org to learn more.
Get the most recent update on development of this all-new Life Plan Community (CCRC) for people 62+! Use your smartphone’s camera to scan this QR code and read the update.
The Baldwin Welcome Center 1E Commons Drive, No. 24 | Londonderry, NH 03053 603.404.6080 | TheBaldwinNH.org The Baldwin is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
So many perfect reasons to visit this summer.
Prospect Hill Home and Art Gallery Fine Art, Custom Furniture, Stickley Furniture. New England’s Best Artists. Furniture Made Here in the USA.
Stacey’s Smoothies and Coffee Shop Serving Wraps, Salads and Quinoa. Plus Lattes, Cappuccino, Espresso, Freshbaked Goods and a new Mini Golf Course!
The Anchorage Restaurant Burgers, Fries, Fresh Fish Dinners, Full Bar, and Outdoor Dining on the Lake.
Goodhue Boat Company and Marina Fuel, Sales and Service.
The Rock Shop From Bedrock to Beads and Beyond, Steampunk Lighting Fixtures. Harbor Light Reality Want to know whats for sale on the lake?
Lake Sunapee Insurance Custom Quotes, representing The Andover Companies.
Wildwood Smokehouse Restaurant Real Wood-fired BBQ and Cold Beer on Tap.
The Lake Shop Beach and Boating Wear by Coolibar, Olukai and Reef.
A&E Harbor Shop The Store Run by Kids. Cool Stuff for Kids and Adults. Sunapee Cruises Two Lake Vessels — reminiscent of Lake Sunapee’s early days — will take you on daily cruises or nightly dinner cruises.
Harborside Trading T-Shirts, Hoodies, Mugs and Sunapee Souvenirs. Wild Goose Country Store A wide variety of New Hampshire made goods.
Fentons Landing Assorted Groceries, plus Made-toOrder Breakfast and Lunch.
CENTER FOR THE ARTS The Naturally New England Art Show July 17th-25th at the Livery Arts On The Green on July 17th Come join us on Lake Sunapee and the beginning of the Sugar River for a day on the lake for lunch, or a night on the lake with a dinner cruise! Beer on any one of the open decks, great fine art and live music. The Livery
All here on Sunapee Harbor!
Kalled Gallery
Wolfeboro, NH and Santa Fe, NM kalledjewelrystudio.com 603.569.3994
NHMAGAZINE.COM Vice President/Publisher Ernesto Burden x5117 eburden@mcleancommunications.com Editor Rick Broussard x5119 editor@nhmagazine.com Art Director John R. Goodwin x5131 jgoodwin@mcleancommunications.com
Managing Editor Erica Thoits x5130 ethoits@nhmagazine.com Assistant Editor Emily Heidt x5115 eheidt@nhmagazine.com Contributing Editors Barbara Coles barbaracoles@comcast.net Bill Burke x5112 bburke@mcleancommunications.com Production Manager Jodie Hall x5122 jhall@nhbr.com Senior Graphic Designer Nancy Tichanuk x5126 ntichanuk@mcleancommunications.com Senior Graphic Production Artist Nicole Huot x5116 nhuot@mcleancommunications.com Group Sales Director Kimberly Lencki x5154 klencki@mcleancommunications.com Business Manager Mista McDonnell x5114 mmcdonnell@nhbr.com Sales Executives Josh Auger x5144 jauger@nhmagazine.com Jessica Schooley x5143 jschooley@mcleancommunications.com Events & Marketing Manager Emily Samatis x5125 esamatis@mcleancommunications.com Business/Sales Coordinator Heather Rood x5110 hrood@mcleancommunications.com Digital Media Specialist Morgen Connor x5149 mconnor@mcleancommunications.com VP/Consumer Marketing Brook Holmberg brookh@yankeepub.com
VP/Retail Sales Sherin Pierce sherinp@yankeepub.com brookh@yankeepub.com
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© 2021 McLean Communications, LLC New Hampshire Magazine® is published by McLean Communications, Inc., 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101, (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements/opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, McLean Communications, LLC.: New Hampshire Magazine disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors. New Hampshire Magazine is published monthly, with the exception of February and April. USPS permit number 022-604. Periodical postage paid at Manchester 03103-9651. Postmaster send address changes to: New Hampshire Magazine, P.O. Box 37900, Boone, IA 50037-0900 PRINTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
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Contents
JULY 2021
42
top from left: photo by brandon james and ben haulenbeek/subaru rally team usa; inset photos clockwise from top left: courtesy, by kendal j. bush, courtesy
50 First Things
603 Navigator
58 603 Informer
603 Living
24 “THE FOLK SHOW”
8 Editor’s Note 10 Contributors Page 12 Feedback
by Anders Morley
Features 34 Transcript
Meet Malia Everett, captain of Extreme Air of New Hampshire. by David Mendelsohn
42 NH Theater Proves
the Show Will Go On
2020 could have easily been a lost season, but we’re talking about theater people. Here’s how venues around the state adapted.
by Bill Burke
50 Race on the Rockpile
Climb to the Clouds is back, and daredevil drivers are ready to speed up the Mt. Washington Auto Road in an effort to set new records.
by Brion O’Connor
58 Best of NH 2021
We reveal the results of the annual Readers’ Poll and Editor’s Picks that cover everything from exciting restaurants to custom bikes. Plus, this year we asked you to share stories of people who went above and beyond during the pandemic. We’ve selected a few (and added some of our own) as winners of a special award.
16 STAY IN A TREEHOUSE by Erica Thoits
20 Our Town
89 SUMMER CALENDAR
RUMNEY
by Emily Heidt
by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
102 Health
VACCINE SCIENCE
28 Blips
by Karen A. Jamrog
NH IN THE NEWS
BY CASEY MCDERMOTT
104 Ayuh
DOWN-TO-EARTH SNOBBERY
30 Politics
by Bill Burke
COVID-19 IMPACTS
BY JAMES PINDELL
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS
31 Artisan
37 Ask the Experts
PAULETTE J. WERGER
Senior Living
BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN
32 What Do You Know? RINGING THE BELL
by Marshall Hudson
ON THE COVER Best of NH 2021 is finally here! Turn to page 58 to see all of this year’s Readers’ Poll winners and Editor’s Picks.
83 Best of NH Hall of Fame Past and Current Winners
98 Ready to Drink
Refreshing Summer Options
Volume 35, Number 5 ISSN 1532-0219
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 7
360 shs is a Complete CirCle of Care
®
603-801-1936 www.360-SHS.com
Bedford • Londonderry • Exeter Concord • Portsmouth
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One for the Team Take the politics out of the past COVID year and just look at how the people and businesses in our state have behaved and you might feel a glow of pride and a sense that New Hampshire really is the best.
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othing illuminates the character of a person, or a people, like hard times. The pandemic was unique in recent history in that it allowed us to observe this effect statewide, nationally and globally. And while the media pundits have been arguing over the petty politics of masks and the roving blame game that results from any global crisis, a more telling measure of the quality of human nature is not who has won at a game of gotcha, but who has actually been making things better. We were fortunate to have tapped into a rich vein of intelligence on just this topic while surveying our readership for their suggestions for this year’s Best of NH poll — the results of which appear in this issue. Along with the hundreds of top picks from nearly 15,000 responses (each one a tiny prayer that maybe this year we could actually get out and fully enjoy these places again) came a bonus. We got dozens of suggestions for companies, people, attractions and organizations that have gone above and beyond to make the best of things for their clients and others, often with little or no concern for their own bottom lines. The list of nominations featured places like Luchador Tacos of North Conway, which began delivering free breakfast burritos to other locally owned businesses in town. Delivery bags bore the handwritten message, “We’re all in this together.” It’s a phrase we heard and read a lot last year, but Luchador Tacos decided to show, not just tell. Or consider the heroic efforts of Kaylon Sweet, the owner/ chef of Osteria Poggio restaurant in Center Harbor, who provided free meals to thousands of people who were having a tough time making ends meet. Oh, and how about Project CommUNITY, an on-air fundraiser that raised nearly $2 million to support the work of the New Hampshire Food Bank. It was a joint effort
of WMUR-TV and iHeartRadio, featuring popular on-air personalities Erin Fehlau, Sean McDonald and Greg Kretschmar who hosted the hourlong special, enlisting local A-listers like Adam Sandler, Seth Meyers, Ken Burns, Recycled Percussion, Matt Bonner and many others. Alicia McDevitt, news director for WMUR and one of the guiding forces behind the initiative, humbly remarked, “It was a team effort.” That’s some team. Anyway, these and other winners of our “Above and Beyond All-Stars” award will get certificates with a special logo and will all be included in our Best of NH Hall of Fame alongside the hundreds of other winners we’ve recognized over the 20-year history of our Best of NH issue and party. And, speaking of that party, usually by the time the July issue is being prepared for the press it’s way too late to encourage readers to join us for the fun. This year, we’ve rescheduled the event to August 21 (thanks, COVID!), and while we truly expect it to sell out early, there may still be a chance to buy a ticket. There’s an ad on page 88 with details and the Arts and Entertainment section of our Best of NH pages has profiles of some of the talent we’ll have on hand — most notably the first-ever, much-ballyhooed (by us) Granite State Humor Summit (see page 76 for a touch of graphic ballyhoo on this created by our clever art director). If you must miss it, we have plans to feature outtakes and performances from the party online, so you should at least pop in to bestofnh.com to get a glimpse of what we’ve pulled together this year. Because in the end, the Best of NH is indeed a team effort, and we consider you a part of our team.
photo by bruce richards
“My Mom said she wanted to live at home forever. Her hospital case manager recommended 360 SHS.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, RIVERWOODS MANCHESTER! You know RiverWoods—where active, smart, independent adults find purpose, community, and peace of mind. Now, RiverWoods Manchester is right down the road. Discover the RiverWoods way of life in a beautiful country setting, closer than you think. Call us at 603.836.2302 or visit RWManchester.org to schedule your tour today.
Exeter I Manchester I Durham
RiverWoods Manchester, NH Residents Carrye and Nancy
Freelance writer and journalist Brion O’Connor, who wrote “Race to the Rockpile,” is a graduate of Manchester Central High School and the University of New Hampshire. He now lives on Boston’s North Shore with his wife of 26 years, two daughters, two cats, a rescue hound named Hobey, and far too many bicycles, soccer cleats and hockey skates. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Bicycling, Men’s Fitness, Boston Magazine and numerous in-flight magazines.
for July 2021
Freelance writer and translator Anders Morely wrote “Informer.” His book, “This Land of Snow: A Journey Across the North in Winter,” is now available.
Regular “Health” contributor Karen A. Jamrog is a freelance writer who also covers design topics in our sister publication New Hampshire Home.
New Hampshire Magazine contributing editor Bill Burke wrote the feature story “NH Theater Proves the Show Will Go On” and “Ayuh.”
Former surveyor and farmer Marshall Hudson spent 40 years exploring New Hampshire. He is the regular “What Do You Know?” contributor.
Journalist and “Blips” contributor Casey McDermott covers politics and policy for NHPR. Prior to working at NHPR, she was at the Concord Monitor.
Frequent contributor Kendal J. Bush took photos for “Informer.” You can see more of her photography at kendaljbush.com.
casey mcdermott photo by john w. hession
Contributors
During our second annual Meals of Thanks program, New England’s Tap House Grille in Hooksett prepared and helped deliver over 720 meals to nurses at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Manchester, Catholic Medical Center and Elliot Hospital. Meals of Thanks is made possible by our partner Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, which has been involved since day one. We’d also like to thank our new partner, Connection, plus our other valued sponsors Granite State College, Amoskeag Beverages, Citronics and Benuck & Rainey. Meals of Thanks debuted in May 2020 on National Nurses Day. Also in 2020, meals were delivered to the Manchester VA Medical Center in honor of Veterans Day, and to the New Hampshire Food Bank the week of Thanksgiving. We look forward to growing Meals of Thanks in 2021 and beyond. From left: New England’s Tap House Grille owner Dan Lagueux, New Hampshire Magazine sales representative Josh Auger and New Hampshire Magazine managing editor Erica Thoits at Elliot Hospital
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photo by kendal j. bush
About | Behind the Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine A Hearty Thank-You
SPONSORED CONTENT
Why non-opioid pain management options are a crucial part of the patient experience By Dr. Thomas King Orthopedic Surgeon and Director, The Knee, Hip and Shoulder Center in Portsmouth, NH; Consultant for Pacira BioSciences, Inc.
A
s an orthopedic surgeon for over 20 years, it has been important for me to seek out the latest innovations in care that will allow me to provide my patients with the best overall experience. I founded the Knee, Hip and Shoulder Center in Portsmouth in 2003 and have been pioneering efforts to enhance recovery after joint replacement procedures ever since. Over the years, our team has become aware and sensitive to the devastating opioid epidemic occurring across the nation – including here in New Hampshire. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Hampshire providers wrote 46.1 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons in 2018. Knowing the impact that opioid overprescribing after surgery can have on this crisis, I made it my mission to transition to a multimodal pain management protocol for my joint replacement patients utilizing non-opioid options. In my practice, this approach has led to a nearly 90% reduction in opioid prescriptions, with many patients noting they never used any opioids prescribed after surgery. A major contributing factor to what we call our AVATAR process (Alignment of Vital Assets To Accelerate
Indication EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is indicated for single-dose infiltration in patients aged 6 years and older to produce postsurgical local analgesia and in adults as an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block to produce postsurgical regional analgesia. Safety and efficacy have not been established in other nerve blocks. Important Safety Information EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected into a wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, and constipation. In the study where EXPAREL was given to children, the most common side effects
Recovery), a program designed to improve patient outcomes through education and multimodal pain management, is a non-opioid option called EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension). EXPAREL is a long-acting local anesthetic injected during surgery to help control pain by slowly releasing a numbing medication into the body for the first few (and often most painful) days after surgery. Since implementing this protocol with EXPAREL, many of my patients are home within 24 hours of surgery and report a better recovery experience. For example, many physical therapists who work with our patients following surgery note they are having less pain and more motion at the onset of their recovery. This is important for long-term healing because pain can limit patients’ rehabilitation. Further, a handful of patients have undergone a joint replacement with both our old and new pain management protocol and report an entirely different, enhanced recovery experience after receiving non-opioid options to manage their pain. As surgeons, our responsibility to care for patients shouldn’t end when they leave the operating room. A swift and successful recovery can be just as important as the procedure itself, and EXPAREL has aided tremendously in providing my patients with an improved recovery experience while also minimizing their exposure to opioids. For more information, please visit www.EXPAREL.com/ safety. This piece is sponsored by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.
were nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood pressure, low number of red blood cells, muscle twitching, blurred vision, itching, and rapid heartbeat. EXPAREL can cause a temporary loss of feeling and/or loss of muscle movement. How much and how long the loss of feeling and/or muscle movement depends on where and how much of EXPAREL was injected and may last for up to 5 days. EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 6 years old for injection into the wound, for patients younger than 18 years old for injection near a nerve, and/or in pregnant women. Tell your health care provider if you or your child has liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from the body. EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins. The active ingredient in EXPAREL can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system; may cause an allergic reaction; may cause damage if injected into the joints; and can cause a rare blood disorder.
Feedback
nhmagazine.com, facebook.com/NHMagazine & @nhmagazine
Sharing the Win
I received my magazine and was just looking through and saw my letter. That’s awesome! I’m so happy I won and will be looking for it. The magazine has so many interesting articles. I’ll share my win with family for sure. We renew every year. I meant to mention after reading the article about Seabrook, we did go to Brown’s for dinner. I said congratulations to the owner for being in the magazine. He did appreciate it. Louise Dobson Hampton
Hi, Mom! Just a quick note to say thank you for including me in the “Rugged Reality Stars” article [June 2021]! You perfectly captured my love of New Hampshire and fun sense of humor about all things in life. Also, the creative around the photos was awesome. Bottom line is this, my mom loved it and that’s all that matters. Thanks again, and I look forward to working with you and New Hampshire Magazine in the future. Ethan “Jewish Wilderness Icon” Zohn Hillsborough Editor’s Note: Our pleasure, Ethan. Readers who missed last month’s “Rugged Reality Stars” story can read it online and enjoy the great graphics created by Art Director John Goodwin.
Peer Praise
I commend you on the very well-written and positive article about Seabrook [“A Love Letter to Seabrook,” May 2021]. I have received many good comments about it and thought you would like to know that. Thank you so much. Eric Small Seabrook Editor’s Note: Eric Small wrote the book on Seabrook (literally). We featured his book “A Visual History of Seabrook” in Bill Burke’s feature on Seabrook in May and then offered a copy of it to one lucky reader. The next letter comes from the winner. 12 nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Winning Is Wicked Awesome
AHHHH! This is wicked awesome, thank you, thank you! I am so excited to win this [“The Beginner’s Keto Plan” by Kassey Cameron], you just made my day. On a sidenote, you guys are amazing. I love New Hampshire Magazine — well, everything New Hampshire, really. I think we live in the coolest state around. The only thing I would change is to have a bit more seacoast to explore, but what a beautiful place we call home. Keep up the epic work you all do — can’t wait to read the next one! Shayna Austin Wilmot
I could see his story becoming a movie on the big screen with The Rock or Mark Wahlberg as the lead actor. Yes, it’s that good, a story of a man who lived a short life. A few years back, I worked with the state on naming our local bridge after him. Unfortunately, years pass, and we as a society slowly forget about the local heroes who sacrificed so much. I did not want this to happen to my friend, which is why I took on the bridge dedication. Now, everybody who crosses that bridge sees the sign with his name on it, which makes me smile. If you have any interest in this and would like to discuss further, please reach out. Thanks for your time, and keep up the good work on making the people of New Hampshire smile. Cris Pignatiello Atkinson Editor’s Note: We always welcome story ideas from our readers and this sounds like a good one for Bill Burke (who is also one of our favorite writers). Thanks for the suggestion.
Keep an Eye Out for “Sophia” I am from Penacook, which is a village of Concord. It was exciting to see the author from Concord [“Our Town,” June 2021]. This is my second New Hampshire Magazine I have received, and I love it! I have many pages dog-eared.
Editor’s Note: Shayna was one of the winners of a copy of Kassey Cameron’s book, which we featured in the May issue.
A+ for Atkinson
To Bill Burke: I am a fan of your writing and have been following you for a while now. I grew up in Atkinson, and now I’m raising my kids in Atkinson — great town! I was wondering if you would consider writing an article in New Hampshire Magazine on my friend who died in combat in Fallujah in 2004. He was a Marine, but much more than that. It’s a great true story that would give inspiration to others in a time we need it.
My husband and I own a 1984 Porsche 911 Targa “Sophia” and plan to visit as many New Hampshire breweries, wineries and country stores as we can with the car. So we get ideas from the magazine. Julie Wright Penacook Editor’s Note: Send us some notes and photos from your explorations this summer, Julie.
courtesy photos
Send letters to Editor Rick Broussard, New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow St. Manchester, NH 03101 or email him at editor@nhmagazine.com.
emails, snail mail, facebook, tweets
illustration by brad fitspatrick
Spot four newts like the one here hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them, and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company. To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, visit spotthenewt.com and fill out the online form. Or, send answers plus your name and mailing address to:
Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101 You can also email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310. The June “Spot the Newt” winner is Judy Preston of Salisbury. June issue newts were on pages 6, 18, 28 and 63.
NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?
The dog days of summer are upon us, but that’s a good thing when you win this basket of treats and doggie care items! Gunther’s Goodies are made with spent beer grains from local breweries, making them eco-conscious and delicious! Paired with their paw balm and Yaya tick ban, you and your furry friends will be pup-ared to take on the great outdoors of New Hampshire. These products and more are available at the NH Made retail store, 28 Deer St. in downtown Portsmouth.
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 13
In honor of National Nurses Day, more than 720 meals prepared by New England’s Tap House Grille were delivered to health care workers. We would like to thank our partners, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Connection, and our sponsors for their support of New Hampshire Magazine, our community and this mission. Together we are Granite State strong. Partners:
Sponsors:
PHOTOS BY KENDAL J. BUSH
603 Navigator “A tree house, a free house, / A secret you and me house, / A high up in the leafy branches / Cozy as can be house. / A street house, a neat house, / Be sure to wipe your feet house / Is not my kind of house at all- / Let’s go live in a tree house.” — Shel Silverstein
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Our Town 20
A Home
in the Trees A stay you won’t forget BY ERICA THOITS / COURTESY PHOTOS
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o, you won’t find a scrawled “No girls/boys/ parents allowed” sign on the front door but, yes, there is a rope and pulley. The rope system is entirely optional, however, as this isn’t a typical backyard tree house — it’s a fully furnished, two-bedroom, one-bath home with all the comforts and amenities you’d expect to find in a structure built on the ground. No sleeping bags or flashlights required (unless you want them, of course). Owners Caitlin and Patrick Clapp are quick to point out that you won’t be roughing it at this Newbury rental. “This is a luxury tree house,” says Caitlin. “We get questions about whether it has running water, but it has everything.” “Everything” includes air conditioning, heated tile floors, Wi-Fi, cable, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, bath with a travertine-stone shower and more.
Ever wanted to stay in a tree house? Now you can! The Tiffany Hill Tree House in Newbury is available to rent.
If you were expecting a ladder of two-by-fours nailed to the trunk, this is not that kind of tree house. nhmagazine.com | July 2021 17
603 NAVIGATOR / TREE HOUSE AIRBNB
Left: The blue kitchen cabinet doors were rescued from a nearby cottage. Right: The 640-square-foot house is situated 14 feet above the ground.
Charming details abound, from the reclaimed barn wood walls to sinks resting atop pieces of a tree.
Most rooms have a tree window revealing the main oak.
Though the tree house feels secluded, it’s in fact close to several attractions like the lake and Mount Sunapee. But still, there’s a real sense of whimsy here, thanks to original owner and builder Gordon Tiff Stanley, who crafted the house in his spare time with his friend Dennis Bourassa over four years. Made almost entirely from recycled hardware and reclaimed wood, each room is filled with charming details, such as the many windows that offer a view of the main oak tree that runs through the house. Visit tiffhill.com to begin your cozy tree house adventure. NH 18
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
savings around the corner. Let us help you save on car insurance and more.
Ryan Hatch 2800 Lafayette Rd , Portsmouth geico.com/seacoast 603-368-6030 item 1 Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. GEICO Is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, DC 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2020. © 2020 GEICO
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 19
PHOTO COURTESY ROBBIE SHADE / VISITNH.COM
603 NAVIGATOR / OUR TOWN
Climbers at Rattlesnake Mountain’s cliffs in Rumney
Rumney’s Rocky Start Explore cliffs, boulders, caves and more BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS
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umney is known for its rocks, to the delight of climbers, kids and people like me who “collect” interesting rocky places. The town’s settlers stuck with it despite the rocky terrain, farming the rich valley land beside the Baker River, and by the mid-1800s, the town of more than 1,100 had 15 sawmills and a couple of other local industries. Rumney Village looks much as it did then, with homes around the common, a church, a tavern (now The Common Café and Tavern, though still closed as the issue went to press) and the former Stinson Hotel (no longer a hotel but with its sign identifying it). This center is largely intact, reflecting
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the transition from a farming community to a small-scale industrial town. The industries sat close to the rivers, their power source. Just behind the church, beside the brick-and-granite Byron G. Merrill Library on Buffalo Road, the former town hall is now the home of the Rumney Historical Society. Built in 1856 as a Methodist and Universalist church and later used by the Baptists, it was given to the town and served as town hall until 1990 when the historical society assumed it. This active group maintains a museum (open Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day), offers occasional free guided walks, and sponsors two popular summer events, an ice cream social in July and Old
Home Day in August. In front of their building, a large signboard shows locations and photos of historic buildings in Rumney, several of which are still there. Of course, we set off in search of them. On Old Route 25, we found the West Rumney Community Church, a perfect example of the Stick Gothic architecture popular in the late 19th century. Old Route 25 continues through the center of West Rumney, where we also identified the former school and a general store building. From Old Route 25, we also got a good view of Rattlesnake Mountain’s cliffs to the north. Back to them later. Climbing north from the common, Stinson Road leads to the good-size Stinson Lake, past the former home of Mary Baker Eddy. She lived here in 1860 to 1862, and the house has been restored to its appearance when she lived here; it is open to visitors
PHOTO BY STILLMAN ROGERS
The West Rumney Community Church
four days a week, May through October. Farther on, a state historic marker points out Loveland Bridge, site of the crutch mill operated by Lewis H. Loveland Jr. from 1890 through the first decades of the 20th century. During World War I and its aftermath, the company manufactured more than 3,000 pairs weekly, earning Rumney the title of the “Crutch Capital of the World.” Stinson Brook may look small, but it has a significant drop and at one time 30 mills operated on its power over its four-mile length. Surrounded by forest, Rumney was known for its lumber industries and wood products (there was also a ladder mill), along with mica mining and stone quarries (no surprise here). South of the common, Main Street leads to the adjacent settlement of Rumney Depot, alongside Route 25. A short distance east on Route 25 is one of the best-known (and, for our kids, best-loved) tourist attractions in the state: Polar Caves. At the close of the last ice age, as the glaciers retreated, the mile-high mass of moving ice scraped off everything that would give way, often carrying huge chunks of rock far from their original mountaintops. Some of these were tossed and tumbled over some distance before being dropped by the melting ice — those are glacial erratics. Elsewhere, the huge chunks carved from cliff faces fell and stayed where they landed, creating talus tumbles at the foot of the cliffs. Polar Caves is the outstanding example of such a talus field, an immense area of irregularly shaped stone slabs that created deep caves and narrow passageways in the spaces between them. Aided by wooden stairways and lights in the deepest areas, visitors can explore these, walking
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PHOTOS BY STILLMAN ROGERS
603 NAVIGATOR / OUR TOWN
and crawling through irregular tunnels between them. Ice that forms in the deepest areas in the winter remains frozen as late as June or July, and the caves are cool on even the hottest summer days. Signs and audio narration throughout relate stories of the Polar Caves’ history, explaining the former uses of the caves by Native Americans, runaway slaves and Prohibition-era smugglers. Less known, except to avid rock climbers, are the giant talus boulders that cover the base of Rattlesnake Mountain’s cliffs, alongside Buffalo Road, west of the village center. Their popularity with climbers was evident from the overflowing parking areas, and as we wandered among the giant chunks of fallen schist and granite, we could hear climbers calling to each other as from the cliffs overhead. The Rattlesnake cliffs are one of the premier sport-climbing destinations in the country. For nonclimbers, more than 20 huge boulders are easily reached within 100 yards of the two parking areas, some of them forming caves. The biggest problem in wandering among them is finding a place to park. While these huge boulders are not glacial erratics, and unlike most erratics, the mountain they came from is no mystery, they are still on my list of New Hampshire’s best places for rock-lovers like me. Elsewhere, in characteristic Yankee fashion, Rumney made wise use of its cliff-droppings by using them as walls of the town pound. On Quincy Road, between Quincy Bog and the Rumney’s common, a large boulder sits close to the south side of the road. Opposite it is the pound, with 22
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
PHOTO COURTESY K2PARN PHOTOGRAPHY / VISITNH.COM
Above left and right: The Polar Caves offers visitors the chance to climb between the rocks and explore the underbelly of the Earth.
Quincy Bog offers trails and boardwalks for easy access to much of the area’s flora and fauna.
three large boulders forming two sides and half of another, so the town only had to build one and a half of the usual four stone walls to confine livestock. The Quincy area was one of the first areas settled shortly after its second charter was granted in 1767, and farmland still lines Quincy Road. One last reason for exploring Rumney lies off this road — the Quincy Bog. While many may not have our fondness for bogs and their flora and fauna, this bog has an irresistible attraction: what is likely the biggest beaver dam in the state — or at least the biggest one you can walk to easily. The beaver houses around the bog’s central pond are impressive too, and one of them is right beside the bridge that spans the outlet of the pond. Boardwalks and trails lead all the way around the pond, through a world of cedar trees, tamarack, ferns, gnarled roots and sphagnum moss. Champion tamaracks
and pitch pines are labeled, and the bog is alive with tree swallows, chickadees, ducks and red-winged blackbirds. The Nature Center has information on the birds and plants, and holds weekend nature walks and workshops, and free Wednesday evening programs. And because it’s in Rumney, the bog has its own section of ledges, but it’s only a hint of those at the other end of town. NH
Learn more Mary Baker Eddy House (603) 786-9943 / longyear.org
Polar Caves
(603) 536-1888 / polarcaves.com
Rumney Climbers Association climbrumney.com
Quincy Bog quincybog.org
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 23
603 Informer “Folk music has pretty powerful medicine for changing your heart.” —Noel Paul Stookey
Kate McNally holds some vinyl featuring her favorite folk music.
Blips 28 Politics 30 Artisan 31 What Do You Know? 32
Keeper of the Folk BY ANDERS MORLEY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDAL J. BUSH
W
hen I was growing up in southern New Hampshire, my family drove north to the Whites most weekends. Sunday nights, on the way home, my brothers would drift off beside me in the back seat while I watched trees or snowstorms fly by outside, and kept my ears on the radio. My dad listened exclusively to NPR, even though he was a staunch Republican, and on Sunday night that meant one thing: “The Folk Show.” This was the early ’90s, when overproduced vocals and synthesizers were the norm in popular music, and hardly anyone knew what an organic vegetable was. What I liked about the music on “The Folk Show” was that the voices sounded like they belonged to human beings, and the instruments were recognizable too, undistorted and mostly unamplified. The songs sounded as though they’d been recorded around a kitchen table, not in some fancy L.A. studio. The lyrics smacked of everyday life, contained a poetry and a pith you didn’t hear elsewhere, and sometimes even touched on unglamorous New England places. Eventually, I went off to college in Indiana, far beyond the range of NHPR, because it seemed like a place where bluegrass and old-time folk music — two things that interested me more than studying then — were part of the local culture. When I got there, I found some jam sessions in the small railroad towns, but I was mostly too shy to jump in with my guitar or banjo. I remember blushing my way through a rendition of “Rocky Top” while a friendly Hoosier redeemed the embarrassing scene with a masterful torrent of flatpicking on his Martin D-35. After that, I just listened to more and more folk music in my dorm room during what became the most formative years of my life. The seed that “The Folk Show” had planted in earlier days sprouted in two important ways: The words of folk songs gave me my earliest
real literary awareness, which ultimately made me want to become a writer; and their humane message helped me, more than perhaps any other single force, to set the terms on which I wanted to become an adult. Kate McNally, who began presenting the show in 1995 (two years before I left for college), grew up in Alaska but was raised by a mom from Harrisville and a dad from northern Maine. They played old country records by Hank Williams and Eddy Arnold around the house. When her dad, a military man, was deployed on a remote mission to Turkey, McNally spent her second-grade year in New Hampshire. After leaving home and getting married, she lived in various places around the country before landing here again in 1978. McNally already had two children when she enrolled at Keene State and got involved with college radio. “Everyone was listening to the Grateful Dead back then,” she says, “and those guys were playing a lot of old-time tunes. It was a gateway. By a fluke, the station had no acoustic program, so I offered to do one.” The show was called “Fiddlesticks,” and it enabled McNally to develop and promote an interest in traditional folk music as well as the progressive bluegrass that had taken the folk scene by storm in the 1970s, giving us still familiar acts like Sam Bush and Béla Fleck. McNally has been instrumental in getting the best folk music, new and old, into New Hampshire ears ever since. In those days, the Folkway — a legendary restaurant, music venue and all-around folkie hangout — was thriving up the road in Peterborough. “There were lots of acoustic venues in New Hampshire at the time, including contra dances, as well as local acts like Tom Pirozzoli and Devonsquare,” McNally explains. And on the seacoast the dean of New Hampshire songwriters, the late, great Bill Morrissey, was building a national following.
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603 INFORMER / THE FOLK SHOW After college, McNally was hired by WKNE in Keene to do the overnight program and also started a Sunday-morning folk show, “The Lighter Side.” She eventually took the reins of a morning-commute program as well. “It was a real trial by fire,” she remembers. “I didn’t know anything about commercial radio.” When the station was automated in 1992, McNally was laid off and took a job, first with a center for teens with drug and alcohol problems and, later, with Monadnock Developmental Services. (She continues to work full time as a tobacco treatment specialist at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon.) But she’d been bitten by the radio bug, and when she was invited to work weekends for a station in western Massachusetts, she went for it. There she came into direct contact with a wider arena of singer-songwriters and hosted some of them on the air. Unbeknownst to my teenaged self, listening in the back of my dad’s Subaru, NHPR’s long-running “Folk Show” nearly went off the air altogether shortly before McNally took over. Her smooth voice and warm manner, matched to an impressive knowledge of a musical genre whose recording history reaches back a century, grabbed listeners’ affection and attention as folk music grew
Kate McNally has hosted “The Folk Show” on NHPR since 1995.
Bob Lord’s “Playland Arcade” — A beach day for the ears
“‘P
LAYLAND ARCADE’ is in some ways a love letter to Hampton Beach and all the insanity and inanity that is New Hampshire,” says Bob Lord, founder of the Seacoast-based experimental rock band Dreadnaught and CEO of neoclassical music label PARMA Recordings. His band has graced the stage with celebrities ranging from Dan Brown to Stephen King for
PARMA Recordings CEO and Dreadnaught founder Bob Lord
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the Music Hall’s long-running “Writers on a New England Stage” series in Portsmouth, and he collaborated with rocker Pete Townshend for an expansion of The Who’s musical legacy in the double album “Method Music,” so one realization almost came as a surprise to Lord regarding his latest release. “It’s my first solo album! How did it take 44 years?” he says.
Just like the sensory treats of a walk on the boardwalk at Hampton Beach, the musical explorations on “Playland Arcade” range in texture and flavor from the smooth sweetness of soft-serve ice cream to the salty grit of beach sand, and one, an homage to legendary purveyor of beach food Blink’s Frydoe, even conveys the sugary yeastiness of the state’s favorite fair food. The virtuosity of musicianship is ensured by Lord’s own fluid precision on the bass and by the roster of talent he attracts, like drummer Jamie Perkins (from the Billboard chart-topping group The Pretty Reckless) and keyboardist Duncan Watt (composer for the multiplayer online game “League of Legends”). Oh, and toss in the Czech Republic’s Moravian Philharmonic orchestra and percussionists recorded in Havana, Cuba — both collaborators Lord picked up in his role as a globe-trotting collector of new sounds for PARMA. In his liner notes, Lord writes, “This past Summer of 2020 was the first in my memory when I wasn’t able to visit “Playland Arcade” — my favorite place on the strip ... So while I await a return to the boardwalk I’m sharing this music with you.” For information or to purchase “Playland Arcade,” visit boblordmusic.com. — Rick Broussard
“The Folk Show” can be heard be heard Sunday evenings between 7 and 10 p.m. on your local NHPR station or livestreamed at nhpr.org. Shows are not recorded, so don’t miss out!
Cow Milking Horseback Riding
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EAST HILL FARM 1-603-242-6495
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in popularity again. Her new position at the mic of a statewide broadcaster saw her being sent out to emcee live shows at venues like the Brewster Academy Festival and the theater of the Peterborough Players. These live events brought her into contact with her audience in a way that being alone in the studio never had. This sense of community was driven home in 2003, when McNally’s house in Marlow caught fire and she lost everything, including her pets. New Hampshire folk musicians and their listeners came together to organize benefit shows to help rebuild. “It was a big boost,” she says. “It was heartwarming to feel so supported, and it enlarged the world.” In recent years, the “NH Folk” Facebook group has enhanced listener participation in the program itself, despite the technoskeptic streak of many folk music fans. “The Folk Show” can still only be heard live; programs are not recorded, which means you’re either there or you’re not, just like in the old days. When all the bonds of space and time feel like they’re slipping, I find something steadying about this. It also reinforces the sense of being part of a community, as the Facebook group comes alive with real-time conversation at 7 p.m. every Sunday evening, music-themed emojis and all. With COVID shutting us all inside for much of the past year, I’ve had an especially acute sense, when tuning in from Littleton, that I’m sitting around with friends in a New Hampshire-size living room, while McNally spins us all records by the likes of fellow Granite Staters Wendy Keith and Julie Snow, Maine’s Cormac McCarthy and David Mallett, old standbys like Hazel Dickens and Pete Seeger, and even some emerging local talent. My parents still live in southern New Hampshire, and every few weekends I drive down to see them. “Why don’t you spend another night?” my dad will often say, as the twilight creeps into Sunday afternoon. But I tell him I can’t, and that he’s to blame. I tell him I’ve got a meeting with my car radio at 7 sharp — for a northbound drive along memory lane. NH
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603 INFORMER / IN THE NEWS
Blips
Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006
Jodi Picoult’s musical explores life during lockdown BY CASEY McDERMOTT Jodi Picoult thought she was going to debut a Broadway musical in 2020, an adaptation of “Between the Lines,” a novel she co-authored with her daughter. You can probably guess the rest of the story: The pandemic upended those plans, along with the performing and publishing world at large. The bestselling author found herself hunkering down at home in the Upper Valley, venturing out for local hikes with neighbors who became part of her quarantine “bubble” but otherwise playing it extra cautious. “I have asthma,” Picoult explains, “so I was very nervous about this virus and about catching it, because I just didn’t know if my lungs could handle it.” She had another good reason to be nervous. In early March, she and her “Between the Lines” co-playwright Timothy Allen McDonald attended the wedding of Broadway star Arielle Jacobs, who was slated to lead her new musical. Of the six
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people at their table, five came home with the coronavirus; Picoult was spared, but McDonald got sick. “When Tim got better, we started talking about how we could chronicle what was happening to us as a society,” she says. So the pair got back to work on a new musical, “Breathe,” which is available online for a limited time. They initially centered the story around four couples, each at a different kind of crossroads in their relationships, and each drawn at least somewhat from the experiences friends, family and even the writers themselves were navigating during lockdown: juggling childcare and remote work under one roof, grieving in isolation after losing a loved one and more. “What I love about this,” Picoult says, “is that you can find yourself in it somewhere.” But after George Floyd was murdered, the writers decided they needed to find a way to make the groundswell of protests
Above: Rubén J. Carbajal and Denée Benton Top: A screenshot from “Breathe” as it appears online
photos by jenny anderson
Pandemic Play
and conversations around systemic racism a part of the show too. “We also knew that wasn’t our story to tell,” Picoult says, so they enlisted help from actor, composer and lyricist Douglas Lyons to write a fifth chapter centered around a Black father and son who are grappling with the relationship between police and communities of color. Along the way, Picoult and McDonald also brought together five different songwriting teams, five different directors and 11 actors, many of them Tony Award winners or nominees. “We didn’t just chronicle what it meant to be living through COVID — we chronicled
what it was like to create a musical during COVID,” she says. “Because a lot of the things that you would normally do to create a musical, we couldn’t do.” They didn’t have costumes, sets or orchestra — or even a live audience. The show’s 11 actors, in fact, were never on stage together at the same time. Musical numbers were produced by layering individually recorded tracks of vocals and instruments on top of each other to mimic the feel of a full, live band. Instead of piling into a theater, prospective audience members will have to queue up “Breathe” on their televisions or laptops in the comfort of their own homes. Like the characters in the show, everyone will be watching in their own worlds — and while an unconventional theater experience, Picoult hopes at least one takeaway is that “no matter how isolated we all felt, we were all really in this together.” You can watch “Breathe” online at breathemusical.com through July 2. Tickets are $25 each. NH Congratulations are in order for New Hampshire’s own Chris Viaud, who recently reached the end of his run on “Top Chef.” The chef and owner of Greenleaf in Milford, however, hinted on Instagram that he doesn’t have plans to slow down anytime soon: “What I’ve learned is that this is just the beginning for me and I’m excited to share with you what’s next to come,” he wrote. We look forward to seeing (and tasting) what’s ahead!
COURTESY PHOTOS
A documentary now airing on Hulu, “Changing the Game,” is getting positive reviews for its portrayal of young transgender athletes — including New Hampshire skier and activist Sarah Rose Huckman. The film follows Huckman and others as they navigate life on and off the field, even following Huckman’s experiences testifying on legislation at the New Hampshire Statehouse. “With a slew of anti-trans legislation coming down the pipeline,” IndieWire wrote, “hopefully ‘Changing the Game’ becomes a vital tool for educating the public about this hot-button issue.”
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603 INFORMER / POLITICS
Pandemic Predictions Some fundamental changes are here to stay BY JAMES PINDELL / ILLUSTRATION BY PETER NOONAN
T
he 2020 election was supposed to be about a lot of things, notably including the personality of Donald Trump and a roaring economy, but the onset of the pandemic not only halted life, it also put one of the more important presidential elections on pause. Of course, Covid also impacted every race on the 2020 ballot, canceling most traditional rallies, changing how candidates debated each other, and ensuring for the first time a huge bulk of New Hampshire residents voted by mail. Now, as the state appears to be in something of a recovery from the pandemic, consideration is being given to the more long-term impacts of Covid on New Hampshire politics. For those looking for a bottom line: It is totally unclear which political party benefits more. That said, here are some of the obvious effects. 1. More of life quickly went online and will stay there. Here, the pandemic served as catalyst for what was already going to happen: Most of life will take place online. Not every busi-
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ness will allow people to work remotely, not every doctor’s appointment can be a telehealth appointment, not every community meeting will happen over Zoom, not every person will decide to have groceries delivered or rely on Amazon for basic staples, but many more will. No doubt, this will be a more efficient way of going about things, but it will also pose a crisis for communities that don’t have reliable high-speed internet. These communities will simply be left behind unless leaders there and statewide begin to address the digital divide. One other thing this digital life will do: Create neighbors who are even less connected minus the random hello in the line at the grocery store. It’s not exactly “Our Town.” 2. Our hot postpandemic housing market could adjust the character of the state. New Hampshire real estate agents say they experienced one of the craziest markets during Covid, and that they don’t expect it to really change. Southern New Hampshire is a unique gem in America: It’s close to Boston, one of the world’s most vibrant and
stable economies, and features good infrastructure with nearby mountains, lakes and coast — plus low taxes. If, as some predict, the biggest shift ever in national workplace culture is imminent, then southern New Hampshire is set to benefit as many move out of the city for a nice yard and good public schools — now without the trade-off of a horrible commute five days a week. And those already settled in southern New Hampshire are looking to own a second home in the Lakes Region. This has led home prices to increase 12% in New Hampshire, a market that was already going up 6% the previous year. This increase in property values will mean an increase in potential property tax revenue for local communities to invest, or a fight over how much to reduce taxes. This means New Hampshire will likely become more wealthy, more educated and older (and whiter). Poorer populations or younger first-time homebuyers simply will be priced out and forced to rent or move somewhere else. How that all shakes out in terms of who becomes governor is unknown, but the priorities to serve on either side of the political aisle are going to be obvious and fought over intensely following the pandemic. NH
603 INFORMER / ARTISAN
Moving Metal
The fragile ecosystem of crafts soldiers on BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN
T
courtesy photos
he pandemic has been especially hard for craftspeople. The usual craft fair outlets have been canceled for the past year, and craft shops have closed or limited traffic. For Paulette Werger of Hanover, the problem was twofold. Her studio at AVA Gallery in Lebanon was shut down, denying her access to her tools, and her teaching schedule was canceled. “Besides classes at AVA, I was usually on the road at least 12 times a year to teach across the country,” she says. Fortunately, Zoom came to the rescue. Werger, an expert metalsmith with a focus on both jewelry and tableware, is using virtual methods, such as metalwerx.com, to demonstrate techniques to people across the world. She even had a woman from Israel take a class — while it was 3 a.m. for the student. Werger is a perennial winner of the best in show or the Joe Tucker Metal Award at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s fair in August. Her minimalistic chains shine with strong, clean lines as she views the natural world, simplified, while her tableware presents a real design statement. She likes to shift between jewelry and tableware, just to “keep me on my toes,” she says. The different demands of function in each discipline narrows the response to the form for each type of object. The downtime has also given Werger the chance to experiment with her work. Her latest endeavor, enamel on copper, adds a splash of color to the limited palette of polished or anodized metal. Also, as seen in the image here, she is exploring the beauty of unusual turquoise stones, which she says are “vast and astounding.” This kinetic neckpiece rotates to reveal a different matrix on the other side. The metal lines are finely crafted, like a perfectly drafted drawing, but here are in 3D for the pleasure of both the hands and eyes. We are all looking forward to the opening of craft fairs here in New Hampshire and throughout the nation, when we can once again look and explore the work of craftspeople in person. Happily, the annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is on for August 7-15. NH
Find it Paulette Werger
pjwerger.com AVA Gallery and Art Center / Lebanon / avagallery.org
Front and back of Kinetic Turquoise Pendant, 3 inches by 2 inches by 1/2 inch, Arizona turquoise, 22K, silver on a silver-and-22K-gold, 18-inch handmade chain; $950 nhmagazine.com | July 2021 31
603 INFORMER / WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Each 4th of July, town children are invited to ring the bell at Mt. Caesar Union Library.
Let the Boys Ring the Bell Strange stipulations become a town tradition STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARSHALL HUDSON
“... as long as
the Country remains free and independent, the Boys in the neighborhood shall have the right to Ring the Bell on each succeeding Fourth of July,” requires the reverter clause in the deed I’m reading. The old deed also stipulates that the building can never be used for “the sale or use of any intoxicating liquors or drinks whatever; that it shall never be used for dancing, card playing, gambling, or skating” and that “It shall never be used for any immoral purpose whatever.” ... Skating? I presume the deed speaks of roller skating, and while I’m familiar with the concept of the sins of drinking, gambling, dancing, and other immoral purposes, I have to wonder what George Carpenter had against roller skating in 1885 when he deeded the property to the Mt. Caesar Union Library Association.
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Arguably, if a librarian were to allow a roller-skate-wearing patron into the building or fail to ring the bell on each succeeding 4th of July, the heirs of longgone George Carpenter could raise a claim of ownership in the building under the terms of this reverter clause. I’m wondering if sometime in the 136 years since this deed was executed, might not two patrons have discreetly knocked back a swig from a shared pocket flask during some celebration? Or does it constitute dancing if a patron spontaneously head jives to a tune on their earbuds while reading? Probably more of a theoretical question for legal scholars to debate than an actual concern for this library. I’m in Swanzey at the Mt. Caesar Union Library. The library was originally founded in 1843 as the Mt. Caesar Seminary, a Universalist denomination all-boys school. The
seminary’s founding trustees were searching Cheshire County for a suitable place to build their school when Swanzey landowner Amos Bailey offered them his property. Bailey proposed selling them four acres for $75, or just the front half for $50. The frugal trustees chose the second option and began selling off shares in their new school to raise money for the purchase of the land and construction of the necessary buildings. A Greek Revival-style school building was erected with a prominent bell tower front and center. Directly across the road, a dormitory was constructed for boarding students. The headmaster lived in residential quarters inside the school and rang the bell to awaken students in the dormitory and summon them to classes. The bell did not
The modest library bell is probably not as loud as you might expect.
need to be thunderous and disturb people all over town, only loud enough to bring the boarded students across the road. The seminary offered a solid curriculum including algebra, Latin, grammar and composition. Attendance peaked from 1853-58, when enrollments exceeded 120 students. The seminary flourished for a few years, but interest in its welfare by the shareholders soon waned. By 1860, enrollment was in a steadily downward trend, so the Mt. Ceasar Seminary for boys was renamed the “Swanzey Academy” and transitioned to a
The original library deed
secular curriculum and began admitting girls. Instablity and decreasing enrollments continued as public schools competed for students. By 1866, trustees and shareholders had lost confidence and voted to close the school. The building sat vacant and mostly idle for some 20 years. There were incidents of vandalism and reckless use of the building. Something needed to be done if it were to be saved. To the rescue came George and Lucy Carpenter, who lived nearby on the shoulder of Mt. Caesar. George Carpenter was a local farmer who also took an interest in politics and local matters. Carpenter had served as a representative in the New Hampshire Legislature and had run unsuccessfully for governor and Congress as a member of the Greenback Party. Legend suggests he may have also made money in railroad building, constructing tin roofs or in the California gold rush. Lucy was the daughter of the locally prominent Whitcomb family. Both George and Lucy had been educated at the Mt. Caesar Seminary/Swanzey Academy, and George’s grandfather, Elijah, had been involved in the original construction of the building. The formidable couple decided to save the building and started buying up shares of the property from shareholders only too happy to part with their ownership in the failed venture. By 1885, Carpenter was the sole owner of the property. For $1, George Carpenter then sold the
land and building to a small group of women known as the newly formed Mt. Caesar Union Library Association. The Mt. Caesar portion of the title comes from the mountain across the road, which is more of a hill than a mountain This hill, which was originally called Meeting House Hill, was changed to Mt. Caesar to recognize a slave named Caesar who settled Swanzey with the founding fathers. Carpenter identified a potential use for his recently acquired former school building in the small subscription libraries of East Swanzey and Swanzey Center and some other organizations that also loaned out books. In an effort to consolidate these, he incorporated “Union” into the title, and then deeded the property, with the unusual deed stipulations, to the private nonprofit association for use as a public library. Today, it remains a private library that is open to serve the general public. It is managed by a board of trustees who are not town officials and who serve without compensation. The Town of Swanzey subsidizes the operating budget with tax dollars and, as such, is entitled to one representative on the board. In addition to the town’s support, Mt. Caesar Union Library also relies on a small endowment, community donations and book sales to fund its operation. The library honors the deed stipulation every year by opening the doors for an hour or two each 4th of July, allowing the neighborhood boys to enter the foyer and tug away on the bell rope connected to the bell three-and-a-half stories over their heads. Occasionally, volunteers, sometimes in period costume, will perform a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the library steps. I’m told that the old bell, installed as a wake-up call for the boys across the road, lacks the thunderous resonance you might expect of a bell suspended in such a prominent bell tower. The “clang” is described as a thin, modest output sufficient enough to accomplish its intended purpose, but hardly worthy of celebrating a free and independent country on the 4th of July. While the library complies with the spirit of the deed requirement in permitting the boys to ring the bell each succeeding 4th of July, perhaps they may not be meeting the strict literal interpretation because girls in the neighborhood are also welcomed to yank on the rope and ring the bell. Just as long as they are not wearing roller skates. NH
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603 INFORMER / TRANSCRIPT
Skip Shape Photo and interview by David Mendelsohn Sneakers bounce, hair billows, arms cross and swing while the ropes, barely discernible, cut the air at something near warp speed. We are talking some committed jump roping here. Meet Malia Everett, captain of Extreme Air of New Hampshire. She’s a national champion working hard to make the sport more visible. Thinking of something new and positive for yourself or the kids? Sign up for a workshop. Her team will show you the ropes. Hear the whoosh. Feel the rhythm. Down the road, a stronger heart, a feeling of teamwork or, maybe, just maybe, some Olympic gold.
When I was 9 years old, I attended a workshop put on by Extreme Air of New Hampshire, and fell in love with the sport almost immediately. I am a junior at Exeter High School, and I will be 17 soon. I think, in general, my classmates think jump rope is cool, but I am always nervous to tell them. Jump rope is not a very well-known sport, and is frequently done in elementary school, so I’m always worried people will downplay its difficulty, or think I am weird for doing it. I know some people who have continued on to perform in Cirque du Soleil or for Disney, but I do not believe this is the right path for me. My main goal is to work in a lab doing research on improving treatments, and possibly even finding a cure for a chronic illness. In college, I am hoping to start a team of my own. I hope to draw more popularity and spread awareness to the sport as a whole. I hope that in the future jump rope can, in fact, become an Olympic sport. In order for that to happen, there needs to
be more awareness about it to increase viewership because I know that is definitely a factor for many Olympic sports. One of the unique aspects of jump rope is that you root for and encourage your competitors. Unlike most sports, there aren’t any rivalries — everyone wants everyone else to do well and encourages them. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any competition though; it is more individually based, which requires a lot of self-motivation and drive. If I had to choose which award is most meaningful to me, it would be a third-place medal for double Dutch single freestyle in 2019. I had been in the same group for around four or five years, and both of my groupmates were planning on 2019 being their last year on the team. It was an amazing way to celebrate all of our hard work, and we truly went out with a bang. On top of this, it was the last time I had the opportunity to compete in a double Dutch event before the coronavirus.
Jumping Into the Present
Young indigenous people jumping over vines for fun was witnessed by explorers as early as the 16th century, but the rope-skipping activity we now call “jump rope” is usually traced back to boys in the early 1800s (the sport was seen as a bit too racy for girls back then). Later, the smooth streets and sidewalks of cities became the testing ground for the games. The popularity among city kids established jump roping as serious child’s play and gave birth to many of the variations we know today, like double Dutch, where the jumper must time their skips to two long ropes being spun in different directions. It was professional boxers who saw the game for what it also was — an excellent cardio workout — and they adapted it into their own training routines. Malia Everett says all this led to the formation of the National Double Dutch League in the 1970s followed by other competitive organizations, which eventually opened the sport up to places like Extreme Air of New Hampshire (extremeairnh.org). Everett posts images of herself and her team on Instagram (@malia.jumps), and can answer questions by DM.
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 35
FOR MOMENTS LIKE NO OTHER
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nhmagazine.com | July 2021
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GUIDE TO RETIREMENT LIVING
ASK THE
Experts The past year has been a time of change and evolution for New Hampshire retirement communities. We reached out to several administrators to learn how things are going, what recent challenges have revealed and how residents — and potential community members — can feel secure about their retirement living decisions. MEET THE RETIREMENT EXPERTS
Lynda Brislin, R.N.
Dina Finos
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS TAYLOR COMMUNITY TAYLORCOMMUNITY.ORG
Tammy Stevens
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WINDHAM TERRACE WINDHAMTERRACE.COM
Marylee Gorham
Rosemary Simino
Maria Byrne
ADMISSIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR PEABODY PLACE PEABODY.PLACE
NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATOR GOLDEN VIEW HEALTH CARE CENTER GOLDENVIEW.ORG
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS TAYLOR COMMUNITY TAYLORCOMMUNITY.ORG
DIRECTOR OF SALES THE BALDWIN THEBALDWINNH.ORG
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 37
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Windham Terrace WINDHAMTERRACE.COM
Q
Q
Q
What are some of the important elements to consider when choosing a retirement community?
A
“Location can be an important consideration, given that quite often the simple objection about moving is to be close to family and friends. Consider the size of the facility, services that are offered for your current needs — as well as the services you may require in the future — costs are always something to consider, and then consider the culture of the community. The culture can be simply defined as the way a facility ‘feels.’”
Q
A
“Millstone Inn is a smaller personal wing — within the same overall community — separated by a keypad code that prevents wandering of those who may have this symptom as part of their dementia. It is a specially designed, lovely and secure unit with an outdoor enclosed courtyard as well as a large, bright three-season sunroom. The goal of our Millstone Inn is twofold — to provide a sense of security and belonging through specially trained staff, within surroundings that look and feel like home; and to add quality-of-life through a daily routine that incorporates music, laughter, smiles and exercise, along with conversation, creativity and reflection.” What is the most important thing to know about your community?
A
“The most important thing people should know about Windham Terrace is that we are here for your loved ones. We care for each resident as if they were our own family. Our sincere goal is to help each resident become comfortable with their individual decision in choosing a new living option. It’s not just one thing, it’s everything. It all comes full circle to peace of mind.” — Lynda Brislin, R.N., Executive Director Windham Terrace
What is your No. 1 tip about the moving process?
A
“Seniors are sometimes under the impression that all communities are the same, and that they offer the same levels of care, the same standards, or the same accommodations. This is most definitely untrue. They’re sometimes afraid that they will lose their freedom or independence, and Thanks to your wonderful that remaining in their home is the best place to live as you age. staff for taking such good In actuality, it is the communicare of my mother. ty environment that provides safety, more freedom and You have enabled convenience, along with more her to continue care and certainly less stress or worry than perhaps staying another year of alone in your home can provide. independence, Another misconception is that you will lose connections with for which I am family or friends. The reality profoundly is that families and friends visit more frequently, and those grateful. visits are more enjoyable as — Adult child of resident they’re not providing care that was needed before moving into a community.”
”
38
What is something unique about the approach to memory care at Windham Terrace?
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
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Taylor Community TAYLORCOMMUNITY.ORG
Q
What is Taylor’s approach to its community’s health and wellness lifestyle programming?
A
Q
One of the most compelling reasons to move to a Taylor Community is the peace of mind that comes with enjoying active, vibrant retirement living today, and knowing you have a plan in place for the future.
“Health and wellness are a major focus here at Taylor, as so much of what draws our residents to our community is rooted in our programming opportunities. Our wellness team hosts various programs year-round for residents, including yoga, hiking and other group activities, like fitness classes, summer bocce and shuffleboard leagues — even snowshoe treks in the winter. And we are constantly adding new offerings depending on resident interest. At Taylor, we aim to provide residents with as many opportunities as possible to stay current and active, while having fun. “With the construction of our new amenities building in Wolfeboro we will be able to further enhance our health and wellness programming with a full, on-site fitness center and year-round heated lap pool. We know there’s much more to health and wellness than just physical activity. Therefore, it’s a priority to keep our residents engaged through robust programing including concerts, lectures, book clubs, interest groups and numerous social events.” — Dina Finos, Director of Admissions Taylor Community
What should someone researching a residence look for in a retirement community’s financials?
Q
A
“When it comes to researching a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), it is very important to look into the financial health and wellbeing of the organization. Good indicators to consider are resident census, current assets and liabilities, and whether the community is maintaining the property well through capital investment. At Taylor, we have a strong census and are in an excellent financial position. We make our financials available, as we believe in transparency and think everyone should feel comfortable as they make an informed decision regarding this important investment in their future.”
What are the differences between your communities in Laconia and Wolfeboro?
A
“In Laconia, Taylor is a fully established Continuing Care Retirement Community, which offers indepen-
— Tammy Stevens, Director of Admissions
”
dent living, assisted living, memory care and nursing. We provide a maintenance-free, active lifestyle for our residents. With a fitness center, warm water therapy pool, outdoor recreation pavilion, movie theater, event spaces and dining options right here on campus — and a full schedule of programming — our residents’ challenge isn’t finding something to do, it’s choosing between all the options! Our beautifully landscaped 104-acre campus is located right in town with convenient access to shopping, restaurants, cultural and entertainment opportunities and other amenities, including Concord Hospital/Laconia and its large network of affiliated medical services. Our Back Bay and Sugar Hill campuses in Wolfeboro provide residents with independent and assisted living options in this small town and year-round vacation destination. Back Bay is a quiet, independent cottage community within walking distance to downtown Wolfeboro and its many shops, restaurants and cultural opportunities. Sugar Hill, the newest addition to the Taylor family, is in a more rural setting just two miles from downtown and features spectacular views of the lakes and mountains. With both independent and assisted living options on this campus — and a wide range of services and amenities including fine dining — we offer both a vibrant independent living experience plus care if residents need more help over time. We are excited to announce that we are working in collaboration with the town of Wolfeboro in establishing a full CCRC with the construction of both a new amenities center and healthcare building on our Back Bay campus over the next few years. “While each campus has unique benefits, all our locations offer residents an exceptional lifestyle in an environment with superior service and amenities. Both communities are in beautiful parts of the Lakes Region, so it really does come down to what place you feel will fit you best based on your individual lifestyle.” — Tammy Stevens, Director of Admissions Taylor Community nhmagazine.com | July 2021 39
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Peabody Place PEABODY.PLACE
Q
How important are cultural and physical enrichment activities for residents, and what kinds of offerings are available to your residents?
Q
on the shore of the Winnipesaukee river, both of which are literally 50 feet from our doors.”
What makes Peabody Place safe for new residents?
A
“Our culture at Peabody Place first and foremost provides a warm, loving, homelike environment while embracing the concepts of the Eden Philosophy for our elder family members. The importance of a varied and engaging enrichment program cannot be overstated since quality activities are designed to stave off the effects of loneliness, helplessness and boredom — truly the death knell for elders who may have experienced isolation from their families and society in general. At Peabody Place, no one is ever alone. Peabody is vibrant, bustling with positive energy and filled with music and laughter. Access to human and animal companionship is the norm. Our resident cat provides her own brand of therapy — other pets living here often visit other residents. We’ve kept our program of exercise, walking therapy, fellowship and patriotism in spite of the pandemic. We sing the national anthem every morning, and create outdoor experiences in social groups on the patio, in the gazebo facing the Pemigewasset and host fishing
A
“Herculean effort coupled with a little luck and goodwill from the gods has enabled us to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak at Peabody Place. We mere mortals have learned we are powerless in the face of unrelenting nature, specifically, a raging pandemic that preyed on the most vulnerable. That said, we reviewed our cleaning protocols in March 2020 to ensure that we maintained the highest level of infection control and have continued in that vein since. We still clean multitouch surfaces throughout the day. For 14 months we cleaned every surface every two hours. Scrutiny of the daily health status of staff and a benign oversight of resident health ensured we could pivot at a moment’s notice to any hint of illness within Peabody. We require all new residents to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We’ve supported staff as they made the decision to obtain a vaccine. The screening process for all entering the building is consistent and will continue. Simply opening windows creating airflow freshens the interior in tandem with our installed state of the art ventilation system.” — Marylee Gorham, Admissions & Marketing Director Peabody Place
Golden View Health Care Center Q A What were the most successful safety measures your community implemented during the past year?
Q
“The pandemic hastened the way that The Golden View Community has integrated technology into our everyday systems and lives. Harnessing the efficiency and communication capacities of current technology allowed us to continue to deliver quality professional medical services through telemedicine, maintain relationships with our residents and their loved ones through video chat technology, and protect our staff by upgrading nurse call technology from a push button response system to an in-room to nurses station voice call system — all of which increased efficiency and reduced the risk of exposure to the virus for our residents and staff.”
How are healthy living programs being re-introduced or maintained?
A
“The one thing that we thought we knew and understood was the importance of interpersonal connections and physical touch. The pandemic demonstrated just how important those connections are to our overall health — both mentally and physically. Nursing assistants, housekeepers, dining assistants
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Q
GOLDENVIEW.ORG
and office personnel working in our community filled the void of loved ones who could not visit, by comforting residents, visiting with them, listening to them and grieving with them over the loss of a friend or roommate. The connections and relationships among our team members grew stronger during the pandemic. Each team member helping each other, supporting each other, consoling each other through PPE shortages, increased workloads, illness, fear and grief. There is no substitute for human connection.”
In what ways has Golden View reopened or returned to pre-pandemic procedures?
A
“The Golden View Community is now in what I call our recovery phase. Although there is a sense of return to normalcy, we are not all the way there yet. We are reopening our doors to loved ones and friends, volunteers, students of clinical programs, various community-based organizations and entertainers that have always been a part of the lives of the residents at Golden View. Residents are re-entering the surrounding community for social visits and outings they once enjoyed.” — Rosemary Simino, Nursing Home Administrator Golden View Health Care Center
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The Baldwin THEBALDWINNH.ORG
Q
innovative community that incorporates everything we know about what it takes to remain healthy as we age. As part of that initial process — which occurred long before anyone ever heard of the pandemic — we looked at how we could best empower residents to remain independent, healthy and safe. As a result, The Baldwin’s award-winning design is light years ahead of older, existing communities. “To give you two examples, the buildings all have their own exterior entrances, so they can be divided into smaller segments. This would allow people to come and go from their homes without having to go through common areas. In addition, all apartment homes are fully independent with regard to ventilation and air exchange, so there’s no shared air between residences or between residences and other areas of the buildings. The Baldwin has been well-designed for whatever the future holds.”
Life Plan Community is a newer term that isn’t familiar to some. Can you explain what it is?
A
“A few years ago, the senior living industry began adopting the term Life Plan Community to replace continuing care retirement community, or what some call a CCRC. While Life Plan Communities are CCRCs with a full continuum of care, the new term is designed to reflect a newer, more modern approach to senior living. Aging is a natural process — not an illness — and retirement should be an exciting stage of life. At The Baldwin, residents will remain in control of their futures and live their lives according to their own choices. They’ll have access to any care they may need, but we’ll never shuttle anyone through a predetermined sequence of care levels. That’s an old way of doing things that doesn’t fit the way people want to live now. So, as a term, Life Plan Community best fits The Baldwin’s innovative, forward-thinking approach.”
Q
When should a person or couple consider moving to a community like The Baldwin?
A
Q
Let’s talk about the pandemic. Since The Baldwin hasn’t yet been built, what has your experience been and how would you handle a similar situation should it arise in the future?
A
“Of course, we have lots of experience from our sister community, Edgewood LifeCare Community in North Andover, Massachusetts, so that will inform the plans we’ll have in place for any future situations. But, more importantly, we’ve worked with architects and engineers to create a truly cutting-edge,
“The sooner the better! One of the most common things we hear from residents at our sister community is ‘I wish I had moved in sooner.’ Don’t wait until you think you need health care. Move in while you’re still young and healthy enough to take full advantage of everything the community offers. The average age of The Baldwin’s Founders — people who have made a deposit on their new home — is 74. They now have the opportunity to plan for a stress-free move when The Baldwin opens in 2023. And they’ll be young enough to enjoy everything about this innovative new community.” Scan this QR Code with — Maria Byrne your smartphone to learn more about The Director of Sales, The Baldwin Baldwin’s innovative design.
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 41
the show • wıll go on NH theater proves
With no real box office receipts to show, no productions in rehearsal, and no butts in seats, it would’ve been easy to characterize 2020 as a lost season. But then, we’re talking about theater people.
V
• • • • BY BILL BURKE
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 43
The curtain
may have come down, but the actors, directors and producers
in companies
throughout New Hampshire weren’t about to throw up their hands and
go home. A note from the stage, then:
The state of theater in New Hampshire is surprisingly strong. “Last year, on March 15, when the state went into lockdown, our team got together,” says Brandon James, co-artistic director of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre. “We sat around and said that, even though we couldn’t have a live audience, we didn’t have to stop serving our mission. We just had to change our delivery method.” In just a few days, the Portsmouth-based team completely renovated the 125 Bow St. theater, setting up a streaming TV and radio station that offered a number of livestream performances, classes and information sessions daily. Ten actors and crew members hunkered down in a voluntary quarantine — the theater’s co-manager even did their grocery shopping — from March 18 until the Fourth of July weekend. Before long, patrons were back in the theater — in smaller numbers, distanced and masked — but they were there.
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“Just having a full audience has been really amazing, actually,” says Ben Hart, co-artistic director of the Seacoast Rep. “First, it was livestreaming with no audience in the house. Then we started opening up and had seven people. Then we’d get excited about 20 people in a 230-seat house. Now we’ve got 70 seats open, and we’ve had a few full houses at 60 to 70 seats and that feels packed.” Back in “normal times,” says Hart, 70 was considered small. Still, he’s grateful for the return of any crowds,no matter the size. “The energy of the audience, even with that small capacity, it’s very exciting to feel that energy again,” he says. As they do return, audiences have discovered a space given a bit of a shine during the pandemic: a renovated lobby, upgraded HVAC, an industrial air handling system with HEPA filters and a reconfigured interior. Likewise, in New London, where the oldest continuously operating summer theater in the state is preparing for its 89th season, big plans are afoot.
Actor Jason Faria from the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in character as Travis Pastrana drove to Bonesy for athe production new record time of of “Mad Haus” 5 minutes 11.54 seconds, at the Mt. Washington PHOTO BY Auto Road in 2017, BRANDON JAMES
“The energy
of the audience, even with that
small capacity,
it’s very exciting to feel that energy again.” – Ben Hart, Seacoast Repertory Theatre
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 45
The New London Barn Playhouse’s production of “Catch Me If You Can”
“To our great amazement, people came out of the woodwork
to support
this fundraising effort.
The community
has been incredibly
generous to the Barn, even though we were
shuttered last summer.”
– John Finck, New London Barn Playhouse
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“The changes are massive,” says New London Barn Playhouse President John Finck. “We shut down, like every other performing arts space in the country, but we used the shutdown time to undertake a massive planning effort and community fundraising effort to build a new barn. I’m driving past it right now, and construction is well underway for a year-round rehearsal and performance space that we’ve never had before.” The new building will be attached to the original and much-loved New London Barn Playhouse, which was built in 1820 and is on the state’s Register of Historic Places. Funds were raised through the company’s Play a Part campaign, which Finck admits was launched with some trepidation, given the economic and social landscape as the pandemic took hold. “To our great amazement, people came out of the woodwork to support this fundraising effort,” says Finck. The money
raised will allow them to go forward with obtaining permits and “the blessings of town leaders,” he adds. “We took a bad situation and tried to look to the future and not bemoan the present, and do what we’ve been thinking about for many, many years — to create a year-round performance and rehearsal space that we’ve never had before. We can now offer programming throughout the year.” The project, expected to be completed next May, will also include renovations to the historic main stage, a new costume shop, a new set shop, and upgrades to the staff quarters. During the summer, it employs more than 100 people, making it the third largest employer in New London, just behind New London Hospital and Colby-Sawyer College — with which it has a fortuitous and beneficial long-term relationship. This summer, the Barn will head less than a mile down to the other end of Main Street where it will put on a season of five shows
“It’s exciting to
be on Main Street in Tamworth with the town as our scenery and backdrop.”
COURTESY PHOTOS OF: NEW LONDON BARN PLAYHOUSE, THE BARNSTORMERS THEATRE, AMPLIFIED ARTS
– Joe Longthorne The Barnstormers
under an open-air tent on the field behind the Ivey Science Center on the ColbySawyer campus. The rotating shows, which started on June 29 and will wrap up on September 5, include “Shining On: Broadway & the Barn” (an original revue), “A Grand Night for Singing” (an evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein), “Anything Goes” in concert, “And the World Goes ’Round” (the songs of Kander and Ebb) and will end with “Always … Patsy Cline.” “The community has been incredibly generous to the Barn, even though we were shuttered last summer,” Finck says. “The spirit of the Barn motivated people to give very generously to both our annual fund and our Play a Part capital campaign. And we’ve been overwhelmed by the civic spirit of the people in New Hampshire who have missed the arts and longed for their return.” Taking shows outdoors has made this season feasible — especially for a company like Amplified Arts, a small for-profit
Amplified Arts has taken its productions outside at Moody Park in Claremont for the Theatre in the Woods series.
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 47
theater company in Claremont, which typically operates in a modest, 60-foot-square space on the second floor of 31 Pleasant St., with audiences often just an arm’s length from the performers. “We’re an immersive theater,” says Shelly Hudson, founding producing artistic director at Amplified Arts. “We’ll have 60 to 75 people per show before COVID. It was up close and personal. Audience members are feet, if not inches, away from performers. It’s very immersive.” Safety precautions put an end to that last spring, so when the time was right, Hudson and the company took it all outside. The solution: Theatre in the Woods — a space in Moody Park that allows Amplified Arts to perform while maintaining a safe distance from others. Audience members sit in 15-foot encampments and are seated before the next group is brought in. It’s also off the beaten path a bit, allowing them to control foot traffic coming through. At times, though, they will be sharing the space with passersby. “Sometimes people on one of the walking trails will come through, which is kind of neat, especially if it’s someone who may not know about us,” Hudson says. “But the actors are great. They’re so in the moment that they’re not really paying attention to what’s going on in the audience.” This month, Amplified Arts will stage “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” its second production at the park, which was preceded by an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play (ahem). The group opted to keep the space as natural as possible, deciding to leave light and sound equipment back at its Pleasant Street space. “We do, on occasion, compete with the hang gliders, but luckily by evening that’s calmed down a bit,” she says. While the pandemic did affect every aspect of the state’s arts community, it hit some differently. “We’re so small and we don’t have a lot of overhead, so that piece of COVID didn’t hit us as hard as it hit other venues in the state who do have a lot of overhead,” Hudson says. “Being flexible was great for us. But because we are so small, finding a way to incorporate that online piece was a challenge.” In Tamworth, The Barnstormers are also venturing out into nature. The company normally inhabits a Main Street theater with a 28-foot proscenium stage and 282 seats. This year, though, The Barnstormers will 48
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
perform on an outdoor stage on the lawn of the Tamworth History Center — just adjacent to its 86-year-old home — starting with, appropriately, Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Interim Artistic Director Joe Longthorne — a 2018 Tony Award-winner for his work co-producing “The Band’s Visit” — points out that the history of “Our Town” is interesting in that it speaks directly to colloquial small-town America and specifically the small-town New Hampshire experience. And more specifically, The Barnstormers Theater was founded by Francis Cleveland — youngest child of President Grover Cleveland and an actor who appeared in the original production of “Our Town” on Broadway and on The Barnstormer stage many times over the years. “For me, I’ve always loved this play, and I think it’s a perfect play for this moment,” says Longthorne. “It’s a play that celebrates every moment of life. We, as an audience,
Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Seacoast Repetory Theatre
“They really
have taken every care to restore
the gilding and
painting to its 1914
original appearance. It’s quite an astounding
restoration.”
– Bryan Halperin, Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative
get to peek into this small-town story and appreciate the small moments in life that are happening constantly — and we’re missing them constantly. You get to zoom in and appreciate our community and the people around us. It’s a great post-pandemic story. Moving to an outdoor venue is a big change for The Barnstormers, says Longthorne, but he’s optimistic. “We’ve never done this before, and the beauty of doing ‘Our Town’ in a space like
Laconia’s Colonial Theatre is nearing completion of a major, painstaking renovation that will see the 107-yearold space returned to its gilded past.
COURTESY PHOTOS OF: LACONIA COLONIAL THEATRE, SEACOAST REPERTORY THEATRE
that is exciting,” he says. “In the opening of ‘Our Town,’ the stage manager is running through the layout of the town, saying, ‘Over there is the town church,’ and the Tamworth Congregational Church is right there. It’s exciting to be on Main Street in Tamworth with the town as our scenery and backdrop.” The Barnstormers took advantage of the downtime to complete cosmetic upgrades to the roof, electrical upgrades and exterior paint. According to The Barnstormer plan, these fixes will mean ongoing annual repairs will become less necessary, as will buckets. Forty-five minutes away on the far side of the big lake, Laconia’s Colonial Theatre is nearing the completion of a major, painstaking renovation that will see the 107-year-old space returned to its gilded past. “It’s amazing,” says Bryan Halperin, Powerhouse Theatre collaborative producer. “They really have taken every care to restore the gilding and painting to its 1914 original appearance. It’s quite an astounding restoration.” The theater, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, features its original layout — orchestra pit, balcony, tiered box seating, restored original ornamentation and frescoes, a “1914” medallion over
the stage, and soaring, ornately decorated ceilings. A classic marquee hangs over the entrance, which leads to birch doorways, brass hardware and marble details around arched windows over terrazzo floors. “It’s really about the total of the details,” Halperin says. “It’s very elaborate, as the theaters of that period were. Nobody makes theaters like that anymore. The Nashua Performing Arts Center is going to be a completely modern theater. This is the antithesis of that. Everything is updated for code in terms of aisle widths and seat sizes, but beyond that, the walls, proscenium, ceiling — it’s like walking into 1914. The whole package is quite unusual. It looks like a brand-new theater, fresh and new, but in a style nobody makes anymore.” Halperin and his wife Johanna are producers of the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, a theater program of the nonprofit Belknap Mill. The Collaborative will perform more intimate productions at the Belknap Mill and larger, fullscale productions as the resident theater company of the Colonial. Its first work at the newly renovated theater will be Neil Simon’s “Dinner Party” — a piece chosen for very specific reasons. “It was absolutely purposeful, and the
reason we chose it is twofold,” Halperin says of the collaboration between the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative and the Community Players of Concord. “I was supposed to direct it at the Hatbox in Concord last spring. We had our scripts, we had our first read-through, and that’s when everything shut down. We had a great cast, we were already sort of booted once before we had a chance to do it, and I knew they could handle it if we couldn’t open for whatever reason,” he says. Plus, there are only six actors, allowing for greater flexibility if they needed to reschedule. “Secondly, it’s a comedy,” says Halperin. “It’s not heavy. It’s short, without and intermission, so we don’t have to worry bout lines at the bathroom, which were discouraged during the pandemic. It fit all the criteria of a relatively safe show to do coming out of the pandemic.” With the summer season now in full swing, the focus is on safety and recovery — both financial and artistic. For Halperin, a successful season would be one where all the participants enjoy the experience and come out of it healthy, and audience sizes grow over time. It’s a common sentiment. “We hope for happy patrons with a renewed appreciation for the role arts play in our society,” Finck says. “That, and a full house and lots of applause.” The Seacoast Repertory has made it a seasonlong focus. “‘2021 Recovery’ is the theme,” Hart says. “For the emotional, spiritual and mental recovery and well-being of our community and the planet as a whole. We picked shows with that message in mind. We wanted to get on our soapbox this season and say that the arts are essential and can give people a feeling of well-being and can help with people’s mental health. It can help restore a feeling of normalcy and can be a cathartic sharing of emotions. The arts should not be pushed aside as just entertainment.” NH
Be Entertained Amplified Arts
amplifiedartsnh.com
Seacoast Repertory Theatre seacoastrep.org
New London Barn Playhouse nlbarn.org
The Barnstormers Theatre barnstormerstheatre.org
Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative belknapmill.org/powerhouse-theatrecollaborative
nhmagazine.com | July 2021 49
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nhmagazine.com | July 2021
The 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road is the ultimate challenge for driver and auto. PHOTO BY LARS GANGE / SUBARU RALLY TEAM USA
The Mt. Washington Auto Road is no ordinary ribbon of asphalt and gravel. The road rises more than 4,700 feet to the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak in a scant 7.6 miles. That’s an average grade of 12%, with sustained sections of more than 18%. But it’s no straight shot. All of which makes the Auto Road an irresistible attraction for the internal-combustion crowd. For “Climb to the Clouds” competitors, the road is a launching pad. >> By Brion O’Connor
The 160-year-old road winds like an enormous wet noodle across the eastern and northern flanks of the 6,288-foot granite knob affectionately nicknamed the Rockpile. It can be as claustrophobic as a mine shaft below treeline, barely two cars wide. Above 4,000 feet, the road doesn’t widen, but the sense of space does. There are sheer drop-offs and spectacular vistas, but no guardrails, no safety net. “Mt. Washington Auto Road is a fantastic piece of road,” says Marshall Clarke of Northern Ireland. “It has everything a good rally stage needs to offer a challenge to the competitor, from the tree-lined bottom, gravel section in the middle, and a complete moonscape at the peak.” Clarke knows. Like scores of drivers with “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper stickers, Clark has gotten an intimate look at the road. He had a front-row seat beside Subaru Rally Team driver Travis Pastrana in September 2010, when the Red Bull-sponsored racer applied his own scorched-earth policy to the Auto Road, producing a record-breaking run of 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds. His average speed? A mind-boggling 72 miles an hour. “We had more fun with this run than I’ve ever had in a car,” said Pastrana at the time. On that day a decade ago, Pastrana and co-pilot Clarke, aboard a 400-horsepower Subaru Impreza WRX STI, trimmed 20
During the 2017 race, David Higgins nearly got airborne at the Mt. Washington Hillclimb in his Subaru WRX STI, after passing the 6-mile marker. PHOTOS BY BEN HAULENBEEK / SUBARU RALLY TEAM USA
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Travis Pastrana drove to a new record time of 5 minutes 11.54 seconds at the Mt. Washington Auto Road in 2017.
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Evelyn Mull in her Jaguar XK 120 Fixed Head Coupe crossing the finish line of the 1953 Climb to the Clouds. Mull was the first woman to race the Climb to the Clouds.
Canadian rally champion Frank Sprongl climbed Mt. Washington in 1998 in his 500bhp Audi Quattro S2, setting a record time of 6 minutes, 41.99 seconds.
seconds off Frank Sprongl’s 1998 record run. That generated the buzz that sponsors at Vermont SportsCar and the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire were hoping for when they revived the Climb to the Clouds after a 10-year hiatus. The event returns to the Rockpile this summer following another delayed takeoff. With the pandemic forcing a postponement of the 2020 race, the 27th edition of the Climb to the Clouds is now set for August 15. Sunday is the grand finale of a four-day motorsports festival, formally known as the 2021 Subaru Mt. Washington Hillclimb presented by Yokohama Tire (August 13-15). Normally held every three years, the famed rally was last run in 2017. A vintage Jaguar passing through Cow Pasture in the 1950s PHOTO COURTESY CLIMBTOTHECLOUDS.COM
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“We obviously have to pay close attention to all that’s going on regarding COVID-19, and we are,” says Event Director Paul Giblin, a longtime member of the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire, the race’s sanctioning body. “However, we’re also fortunate that the event was postponed, as we’ll likely reap the benefit of most of the United States as well as Canada having been vaccinated. We have contingency plans to ensure that the event is not only safe but enjoyable for everyone.” Looking back on his electrifying 2010 run, Pastrana, after getting a full measure of the mountain, acknowledged his unofficial record run was more than just a warm-up. “Our biggest thing was to not go up there and crash on the first run,” he says. “But I wasn’t giving it any slack. We went for it.” In 2017, Pastrana went for it again. After Welshman David Higgins set a new official mark of 6 minutes, 11.54 seconds in 2011, and then knocked another two seconds off his mark in 2014, Pastrana punched out a
time of 5 minutes and 44.72 seconds (42 second faster than runner-up Dan Novembre). Pastrana plans to return this summer with a new Subaru WRX STI customized by Vermont SportsCar. “Travis challenged Subaru to build a car that was 800-plus horsepower that would, in his words, smash the record at Mount Washington,” says Giblin. “They have built that car. That car is coming to Mount Washington.”
Historic road, historic race
Mt. Washington is the centerpiece of New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges. So it’s only fitting that the Auto Road hosted one of North America’s earliest sports car races. Construction on the road began in 1854, taking seven years to complete. The finished product, first opened in 1861, features more than 70 corners, many of the hairpin variety.
PHOTOS COURTESY CLIMBTOTHECLOUDS.COM & VINTAGE.VTCAR.COM
Bill Rutan went sub-10 (9 minutes, 13 seconds) with his Porsche-powered VW in 1961. Rutan trounced the previous mark set by Carroll Shelby behind the wheel of a Formula 1 Ferrari by a full minute and eight seconds. The road to the summit was paved the following year, cementing Rutan’s run into the books as the record time up the “nonpavement” course.
Above: Sixty years ago, this four-cam, Porschepowered special, known as the “Bathtub,” set a record on Mt. Washington that still stands. Rutan’s average speed was 51.2 mph, with bursts as high as 80. The car was witnessed with all four wheels in the air as it hurtled up the narrow road.
Until the first stretch of asphalt was laid down in the 1960s, the road was a strip of dirt and gravel. That didn’t discourage racers. The inaugural Climb to the Clouds was held in 1904, seven years before the first running of the Indianapolis 500. In 1903, L.J. Phelps set the official “mark” when he chugged up the road in one hour, 45 minutes. The next year, Harry Harkness shattered Phelps’ record, powering his Mercedes to the summit in a time of 24 minutes and 37.6 seconds. From there, the times plummeted. W.H. Willard nailed a sub-21-minute time (20 minutes, 58 seconds) in 1905 aboard his Napier. “Cannonball” Baker was the first twotime record-setter, claiming a 14-minute, 19.6-second time in 1928, and then eclipsing Ab Jacob’s 1930 run (14 minutes, 23 seconds) with a 13-minute, 26-second romp in 1932. “Back in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, the race was a proving ground. Motorsports were still fairly new,” says Giblin. “In 1904, when the event first started, it was actually part of a rally, the Glidden Tour. The cars left New York City and traveled all over the Northeast.
They used Mount Washington as a proving ground for these cars.” In 1956, racing legend Carroll Shelby guided his Ferrari up the Rockpile in 10 minutes, 28.8 seconds, a record that stood until Bill Rutan went sub-10 (9 minutes, 13 seconds) with his Porsche-powered VW in 1961. Rutan’s run, which is prized as the last “nonpavement” record, stood for 29 years, as the race went into hibernation. During that break, the Auto Road got a makeover. Recognizing that the road was a growing tourist destination (an average of 50,000 vehicles and 10,000 motorcycles now travel the road annually), owners began paving sections to prevent erosion.
Asphalt equals speed
When the Climb to the Clouds returned in 1990, racers found a much faster track. Hometown hero and five-time U.S. rally champion Tim O’Neil promptly lopped 88 seconds off Rutan’s record, posting a 7-minute, 45-second time in his VW Rally Golf. The next year, Vermont’s Paul Choiniere, an eight-time US rally champion,
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Freelan and Flora Stanley at the summit in their Locomobile, marked the first automobile ascent of the Mt. Washington Carriage Road in August of 1899. Their ascent took 2 hours and 10 minutes. FI R ST O PE N E D
August 1861 E A R LY R ECO R DS/AU TO M O B I LE
1899 – Freelan and Flora Stanley, Stanley Locomobile: 2 hours, 10 min. 1903 – L.J. Phelps: 1 hour, 45 minutes 1904 – Harry Harkness, Mercedes: 24 minutes, 38 seconds (the inaugural Climb to the Clouds race) M O D E R N R ECO R DS/AU TO M O B I LE
1956 – Carroll Shelby, Ferrari: 10 minutes, 28.8 seconds 1961 – Bill Rutan, Porsche: 9 minutes, 13 seconds 1990 – Tim O’Neil, VW Rally Golf: 7 minute, 45 seconds 1991 – Paul Choiniere, Audi Quattro: 7 minutes, 9.6 seconds 1998 – Frank Sprongl, Audi Quattro: 6 minutes, 41.99 seconds (official race record) 2010 – Travis Pastrana and co-driver Marshall Clarke, Subaru Impreza WRX: 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds (unofficial record) 2011 – David Higgins, Subaru Impreza WRX, 6 minutes 11.54 seconds (official race record) 014 – David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew, Subaru Impreza WRX: 2 6 minutes, 9:09 seconds (official race record) 2017 – Travis Pastrana, Subaru Impreza WRX: 5 minutes, 44:72 seconds (official race record) RU N N I N G
2004 –Male: Jonathan Wyatt, New Zealand: 56 minutes, 41 seconds 2010 – Female: Shewarge Amare: 1 hour, 8 minutes, 21 seconds B IC YCLE
2002 – Male: Thomas Danielson, USA: 49 minutes, 24 seconds (Over-50, 2006, Ned Overend, USA: 54 minutes, 41 seconds) 2002 – Female: Jeanie Longo, France: 58 minutes, 14 seconds M O U N T WA SH I N GTO N R ECO R DS
Highest recorded wind speed: 231 miles an hour (April 12, 1934) Lowest temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit (January 1885) Highest temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit (August 1975)
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set a new mark of 7 minutes, 9.6 seconds. Frank Sprongl nicked a second off Choiniere’s time in 1992, instigating a spirited border war between the American Choiniere and the Canadian Sprongl. Choiniere went sub-7 minutes in 1993 (6 minutes, 46.6 seconds) and then lowered his mark in 1995 before Sprongl eclipsed that record in 1998. “Back in the day, when they were really competing against each other, they wouldn’t get within 20 feet of each other,” says Giblin of the rivalry. “They wouldn’t even look at each other.” The rivalries have mellowed over the years. “It’s a great event, great competition, great friends,” says Choiniere. “It’s not really about winning and losing.” Still, longtime racers never tire of testing themselves and their vehicles against the Auto Road. “The draw for me is the challenge of the course, the camaraderie of the participants, workers, volunteers and organizers,” says Drew Young of Loudon. “This is a family of people who do this for the love of the sport and history of the event. “The mountain doesn’t need [the race] to make profits — they truly enjoy the event and look forward to it happening,” says the 64-year-old Young, who has participated in every Climb to the Clouds since 1991, or 15 in total. “That’s the same with almost all of the entrants. There are a few who make a living driving cars, but only a handful. The rest are here for the thrill, and being able to say they were here.” Sprongl won’t be racing this year, but he wouldn’t be surprised if there was another record-setting performance. “The old road I ran on, that was a real road. Now they’ve paved it, so it’s more driver-friendly,” says Sprongl. “It’s just so fast now.” There was roughly 15% more pavement in 2011 compared to 2001. Today, more than 80% of the road is paved. “We are continuing with our quest to have the whole road paved, and get rid of the three-quarters of a mile of gravel road that still exists,” says Tobey Reichert, the Auto Road’s general manager. “Ten years ago, the gravel stretch was well over a mile.” The twists and turns and exposure, however, remain the same. It’s a high-risk, high-reward venue, with corners that produce the G-forces of a fighter jet. Pavement has resulted in the road becoming even narrower, meaning even less margin for error. “With rallying, it’s all about car control and the navigation,” says O’Neil, who found-
PHOTO COURTESY VINTAGE.VTCAR.COM
Summit and Auto Road Records and Facts
PHOTO COURTESY SUBARU RALLY TEAM USA
In Travis Pastrana’s garage, preparing for his 2021 race up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. In the foreground and behind the wheel, future driver Addy Pastrana.
ed the Team O’Neil Rally School in Dalton, New Hampshire. “If you do everything right, and you have your notes or have the road memorized, there shouldn’t be any surprises. You should always come into the corners at the exact right speed at the exact right side of the road and everything should be perfect.” The Auto Road and Climb to the Clouds rally are often compared to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado (dating back to 1916). True, Pikes Peak has the higher finish line at 14,110 feet. But the Climb to the Clouds race, because it starts at a lower elevation (1,565 feet compared to 9,390), actually gains slightly more elevation over a shorter distance (7.6 miles versus 12.4), meaning it’s steeper (12% average grade compared to 7%). And Pikes Peak, say competitors, is much more forgiving. “They’re just different animals,” says Chris Yandell of Vermont SportsCar. “Pikes Peak is wide and smooth, like a highway. Mount Washington is more like a proper rally stage — tight, with lots of small little turns, more ‘gotcha!’ moments, more undulations, more suspension difficulties.” At Mt. Washington, says Yandell, “you can’t make mistakes.” Pastrana agreed. “With these cars, if you’re going wide on a corner, if you’re looking at the tree or look at the cliff, that’s where you’re going,” says the 37-year-old racer. “The key is to keep looking at where you want to go.” Despite the inherent risks, the Climb to the Clouds race has an exceptional safety record. There have only been three fatalities on the hill since motorized vehicles started making the trek, and none during the race.
However, there have been close calls. “I remember in 1996, at mile 5 we had a guy do a barrel roll five times,” says Howie Wemyss, the road’s former general manager. “We needed cables to pull him back up to the road. But the guy walked away.” The danger is part of the attraction. The Auto Road, says Choiniere, “presents challenges we don’t normally have. You need to be precise, and you can be very quick. If you can get it wrong, it can be very slow, or disastrous.” And that’s why racers keep coming back. “For me, Mount Washington is the Mack Daddy of East Coast hillclimbs,” says Dave Patten of Dunbarton, and owner of FutoFab LLC, an online Datsun restoration and performance parts business. “In 1990, when the event was announced it would be run again, the first time since 1962, I was all over entering. “I’m a lifetime member of the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire, and had been running hillclimbs since the mid-’70s,” says the 64-year-old Patten. “So racing up Mount Washington was a chance of a lifetime..”
A full field and festival The 2021 edition of the Climb to the Clouds will feature plenty of action. Friday and Saturday are set aside for practice runs, as well as spectator-friendly elements like a Fan Zone and driver autograph sessions. But the true stars are the race rigs, a wild collection of vehicles in over 10 categories, ranging from unlimited and open classes to high performance showroom stock to American rally cross and vintage. The field of 80 racers is a threefold
increase over the number of competitors in the early 1990s, says Giblin. (Organizers had to turn away more than 60 applicants.) That number allows each racer to run the road twice, with their best run counting as their official time. While Pastrana is predicting a new record, Mother Nature must cooperate. That’s no sure thing. As recently as 2007, the Auto Road’s two annual bicycle races — held in July and August — were both canceled due to freezing rains and hail above tree line. “Weather is absolutely everything,” says Sprongl. “If the weather isn’t perfect, it doesn’t matter how fast a car you have. You’ll never do the times. I prefer a nice, slight overcast day, but warm. I think those are the fastest conditions.” According to a plaque near the summit, the Presidential Range once rivaled Europe’s massive Alps. Today, Mt. Washington stands as a testament to the corrosive power of the winds that swirl and occasional rage through this unpredictable pocket of the White Mountains. Here, on April 12, 1934, the highest land-based wind speed in the Northern Hemisphere — 231 miles an hour — was recorded. Conditions can change in a heartbeat, and temperatures have been known to swing from high 80s and sunshine at the base to subfreezing and hailstorms above 4,000 feet. “There are so many variables. In rallying, that’s how it is. You’re gonna run it, no matter what the weather or the conditions. It could benefit you one time and benefit the next guy the next time,” says O’Neil. “There’s a rule in rallying — force majeure, or God’s will. Force majeure counts,” he adds. “If you’re winning, and a tree drops in front of you, that’s too bad. Whatever happens, happens. You have to deal with it.” Even Pastrana couldn’t believe the variations he encountered. “The most amazing, and most unique thing, is that it was sunny the whole day at the bottom,” he says. “Yet, on the run, I set the record, it started raining halfway up, then it got sunny, then there was fog for the last mile where I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of the car.” Young, another longtime Sports Car Club of New Hampshire member, isn’t deterred. He says he can’t wait for his 16th race up the Auto Road. “Where else can you drive a car as fast as you dare, in an area that is breathtakingly beautiful, and with an amazing group of people who are there simply for the fun of it?” For details, visit climbtotheclouds.com. NH
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courtesy photo
Elevated Comfort Food
Southern comforts meet Northeast taste at The Sassy Biscuit Co. in Dover. The goal? Bring big-city living to small-town plates. And Jilan Hall-Johnson and DeMarco Johnson do just that. The team believes in “the magnificence of the biscuit,” and brings it out through creating both savory and sweet flavors complete with a twist of innovation and bit of elevation. The menu is centered around their special recipe and unique technique for biscuits, waffles and pancakes, which you can see in items like spooned cakes, griddled cakes, pressed shortcakes and more. Pro tip: Don’t forget to check out their dinner alter-ego, Jook Nights on Thursday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. thesassybiscuit.com 60
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
FOOD & DRINK
Feeding Neighbors (and Beyond)
There’s no “S” hidden beneath his shirt, but a lot of people think he’s a hero nonetheless. During the worst of the pandemic this past year, Kaylon Sweet, owner/chef of Osteria Poggio restaurant in Center Harbor, provided meals, free meals, to thousands of people who were having a tough time. After the pandemic shut down his restaurant, he used his kitchen and his suppliers (“I told them, if you’re throwing stuff out, I can use it”) to begin the effort that would create 9,000 meals. And it didn’t stop there. Among other things, he formed partnerships to raise money for organizations that feed the hungry. More outreach efforts, like a community kitchen, are planned. As Sweet says, “A restaurant can be more than a restaurant. I know if you put good out in the world, it comes back to you.” And, he adds, “It’s not just me.” He credits all those who are helping him in the work. Some of the high praise from the community: “It is people like Kaylon that truly make the world a better place,” writes Sara. Courtney writes: “They’re always looking for ways to give back to the community, even after all of the hardships the restaurant industry faced this past year.” osteriapoggio.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
Bedford purplefinchcafe.com
Multiple Locations pastry.net
Multiple Locations tuckersnh.com
Frederick’s Pastries BAKERY Concord Area
Bread & Chocolate Concord Facebook
BAKERY Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Blue Loon Bakery New London blueloonbakery.com
BAKERY Great North Woods Region
Polish Princess Bakery
Wolfeboro yumyumshop.com BAKERY Manchester Area
Bearded Baking Co. Manchester beardedbaking.com BAKERY Monadnock Region
Culture
Milford culturenh.com
Tucker’s
BREAKFAST PLACE Concord Area
The Windmill Restaurant
Concord windmillfamilyrestaurantinc.com BREAKFAST PLACE Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery Hanover lousrestaurant.com
BREAKFAST PLACE Great North Woods Region
The Wilderness Restaurant Colebrook Facebook
BREAKFAST PLACE Lakes Region
The Farmer’s Kitchen Farmington farmerskitchen-nh.com BREAKFAST PLACE Manchester Area
Poor Boy’s Diner Londonderry poorboysdiner.com
BAKERY Nashua Area
BREAKFAST PLACE Manchester Multilocation Regional
Merrimack and Hollis buckleysbakerycafe.com
Bedford and Portsmouth thefriendlytoast.com
Buckley’s Bakery & Café
Industry East opened on Hanover Street in Manchester just as the pandemic turned the restaurant business upside down. Despite the added challenges, Jeremy Hart and Dan Haggerty created a charming, intimate bar with an intriguing list of both cocktails and dishes, which range from oysters on the half shell to duck confit stuffed popovers. If something like the Lookin’ California (gin, aperol, thyme, orgeat, acid-adjusted grapefruit) or Gentleman’s Choice (mezcal or vodka, orange and carrot shrub, lemon, honey, Thai chili) aren’t to your taste, order the Lemme Get UUHHHH ... and they’ll whip up something just for you. industryeastbar.com
The Purple Finch Café BREAKFAST PLACE Overall Multilocation Local
Yum Yum Shop
Craft Cocktails
BREAKFAST PLACE Overall
BAKERY OVERALL Multilocation Regional
BAKERY Lakes Region
Chef-and-pastry-chef duo Matt and Laura Berry take cooking seasonally seriously, using mostly what the land provides. You won’t find them at a restaurant, at least not their own — they hold intimate pop-up dinners with elegant tasting menus at venues around the state, including outdoors at local farms. Dahlia, named for their daughter, is a nomadic restaurant, and it can be a bit elusive. Reservations fill up fast, and anyone hoping to experience their cooking will need to sign up for alerts at the website and keep an eye on social media. dahlianomadic.com For anyone with food allergies (or kids with allergies), finding safe — and tasty — items can be challenging. Windham-based Homefree produces their line of packaged snacks in a dedicated bakery completely free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, soy (except lecithin), fish, shellfish and sesame. The staff even wears Homefree clothing and shoes to avoid tracking in allergens, and the kitchen is strictly gluten-free as well. These are just some of the precautions they take, meaning these are truly treats you can trust. Plus, they taste good! The mini cookies come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate chip, lemon, vanilla, chocolate mint and more. homefreetreats.com
Dover harveysbakery.com
Lancaster polishprincessbakery.com
Pop-Up Dining
Safe Snacking
BAKERY OVERALL
Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop
The Friendly Toast
BAKERY Salem Area
BREAKFAST PLACE Monadnock Region
Windham klemmsbakery.com
Milford damngoodgrub.com/ riverhousecafe
Klemm’s Bakery BAKERY Seacoast Region
Popovers on the Square Epping and Portsmouth popoversonthesquare.com BAKERY White Mountains Region
Red Wagon Bakery Canaan Facebook
BARBECUE
KC’s Rib Shack Manchester ribshack.net
BARTENDER
Becca Paine Machina Kitchen & ArtBar Keene machinaarts.org
The Riverhouse Café
BREAKFAST PLACE Monadnock Region Multilocation Local
The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com BREAKFAST PLACE Nashua Area
Suzie’s Diner
Hudson suziesdiner.com BREAKFAST PLACE Salem Area
Maddie’s
Salem maddiesnh.com
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MaryAnn’s Diner
Derry, Salem and Windham maryannsdiner.com BREAKFAST PLACE Seacoast Region
Big Bean Café
Durham and Newmarket thebigbeancafe.com BREAKFAST PLACE Seacoast Region Multilocation Regional
The Friendly Toast
Bedford and Portsmouth thefriendlytoast.com BREAKFAST PLACE White Mountains Region
Polly’s Pancake Parlor Sugar Hill pollyspancakeparlor.com
North Woodstock woodstockinnbrewery.com BRUNCH
The Foundry
Manchester foundrynh.com BURGER OVERALL
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com
BURGER OVERALL Multilocation Local
Lexie’s Restaurants Multiple Locations peaceloveburgers.com
BREWERY OVERALL
BURGER Concord Area
Londonderry 603brewery.com
Concord and North Hampton thebarleyhouse.com
603 Brewery BREWERY Concord Area
Lithermans Limited Brewery Concord lithermans.beer
BREWERY Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille New London flyinggoose.com
BREWERY Great North Woods Region
Copper Pig Brewery Lancaster copperpigbrewery.com BREWERY Lakes Region
Kettlehead Brewing Co. Tilton kettleheadbrewing.com BREWERY Manchester Area
Pipe Dream Brewing
Londonderry pipedreambrewingnh.com BREWERY Monadnock Region
Modestman Brewing
Keene modestmanbrewing.com BREWERY Nashua Area
Spyglass Brewing Co. Nashua spyglassbrewing.com BREWERY Salem Area
Rockingham Brewing Co. Derry rockinghambrewing.com BREWERY Seacoast Region
Stoneface Brewing Co. Newington stonefacebrewing.com
The Barley House
BURGER Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Little Brother Burger Company New London Facebook
BURGER Great North Woods Region
The Burg
Pittsburg theburgpizza.com BURGER Lakes Region
Surfside Burger Bar Meredith surfsideburgerbar.com BURGER Manchester Area
New England’s Tap House Grille Hooksett taphousenh.com
BURGER Monadnock Region
Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen
Milford papajoeshumblekitchen.com BURGER Nashua Area
Buckley’s Great Steaks Merrimack buckleysgreatsteaks.com BURGER Salem Area
Granfanallys Pizza Pub Salem granfanallys.com
BURGER Salem Area Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery Multiple Locations t-bones.com
BREWERY White Mountains Region
BURGER Seacoast Region
North Woodstock woodstockinnbrewery.com
Portsmouth brgr-bar.com
Woodstock Inn Brewery
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Woodstock Inn Brewery
COURTESY PHOTO
FOOD & DRINK
BREAKFAST PLACE Salem Area Multilocation Local
BRGR Bar
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Vintage Food Truck
Food trucks are all the rage — there are entire festivals dedicated to them — but Patti and Bryant Alden found a unique angle. Both multidecade veterans of the food industry, when Patti was furloughed due to the pandemic, they decided to look at it as an opportunity to try something new — in this case, opening a food truck. The Tin Can Co., based in North Conway, is not your average vehicle. The Bryants found, restored (completely gutted, actually) and refitted a 16-foot, 1966 Shasta travel trailer. The menu changes with the seasons, but the theme remains the same — crêpes. For summer 2021, savory versions include The Forager (with sautéed forest mushrooms), pulled pork, fig and prosciutto, and sweet options range from strawberry shortcake to tiramisu. Visit them on social media to see where they’ll appear next. mytincanco.com
Macarons
Macarons are not easy to make, and even harder to make exactly right, as these delightful French confections are finicky and time-intensive. Lucky for us, Sweet! Macarons owner Lindsay LaRouche moved from Florida to New Hampshire and set up shop last February on Grove Street in Peterborough. Flavors range from the more traditional, like chocolate and vanilla, to creative, including churro, s’mores, Baileys Irish Cream, key lime pie or creamsicle. Here your imagination (and taste-bud tolerance) is the limit, as she takes special orders. An added bonus: Since they’re made with almond flour, most are gluten-free. sweetmacaronnh.com
When grocery store shelves were empty and items from flour to veggies to toilet paper became scarce, when endless days of homeschooling and caregiving sapped time and energy and families found themselves hungry and stressed at the end of the day, The Refinery was ready with some Southern comfort. This Andover BBQ/ comfort food spot provided just that. Readers who found themselves in need described The Refinery as “a lifeline” and “essential to surrounding communities.” In addition to becoming a temporary provider of essentials and feeding its neighbors during a difficult time, its staff and owners sponsored virtual charitable events and cooked and donated meals for churches and food pantries. One neighbor put it best: “Good people, good food, good works.” The Refinery radiates a special glow in this small Merrimack County town. refinerynh.com
COURTESY PHOTO
COFFEE SHOP Overall Multilocation Local
Lincoln blackmtnburger.com
Amherst, Goffstown and Manchester aeroastery.com
Black Mountain Burger Co. BURRITO
Taco Beyondo
Hillsborough tacobeyondo.com BURRITO Multilocation Local
Dos Amigos Burritos Portsmouth, Dover and Concord dosamigosburritos.com CAKES
Jacques Fine European Pastries Suncook jacquespastries.com CAKES Multilocation Regional
(Formerly) Secret Pizza
For a moment, you had to be in the know to find Ray Street Pizza. Maybe you caught a post on Instagram, or a friend tipped you off. At one time, Beau Gamache only took orders from neighbors, friends and through social media, working out of his home on, you guessed it, Ray Street. Then the pandemic supersized the demand for quality takeout, and he got serious about his New York-style, ultrathin-crust artisanal pizzas. Gamache quit his job, found kitchen space in Manchester’s Millyard and opened the new-andimproved Ray Street pizza. Now he has an expanded menu, weekly specials, and online ordering for pickup and delivery. raystreetpizza.com
BURGER White Mountains Region
Frederick’s Pastries Bedford, Amherst and North Andover, Mass. pastry.net
COFFEE SHOP Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Lucky’s Coffee Garage Lebanon luckyscoffeegarage.com
COFFEE SHOP Great North Woods Region
The Granite Grind Lancaster Facebook
COFFEE SHOP Lakes Region
Wayfarer Coffee Roasters
Laconia wayfarerroasters.com
Manchester cafelareine.com
Café La Reine
Red Wagon Bakery
COFFEE SHOP Monadnock Region
CHINESE RESTAURANT
Milford unioncoffee.co
Lilac Blossom
Nashua lilacblossomrestaurant.com CHOCOLATIER
Granite State Candy Shoppe
Concord and Manchester granitestatecandyshoppe.com CLAM CHOWDER
Petey’s Summertime Seafood & Bar Rye peteys.com
CLAM CHOWDER Multilocation Regional
Weathervane Seafood Restaurants
Multiple Locations weathervaneseafoods.com COCKTAILS
The Copper Door
Granite Staters take pride in preserving the past, but even so, many historic buildings are deemed too troublesome (and expensive) to save. In 2013, with only $5,000 to his name, Rudy Rosalez took over operations at The Woodbound Inn in Rindge. Originally built in 1819, the charming and rustic spot was struggling financially when Rosalez stepped in. By 2019, the inn and its restaurant, The Grove, were enjoying new life, and Rosalez was able to purchase the entire property. Then came COVID-19. Take-out alone wouldn’t cut it, so Rosalez and his staff turned the beautiful grounds and an old golf course into a magical outdoor dining experience with lights, music and excellent food — and it was a hit. Outdoor dining was so popular, in fact, that Rosalez was able to reopen the Hometown Diner and rehire about 90% of the staff. Why go the extra step beyond the inn? “Closed businesses equal closed towns,” says Rosalez. woodbound.com
Concord revelstokecoffee.com
Manchester puritanbackroom.com Canaan redwagonbakery.com
Going the Extra Mile
Revelstoke Coffee
COFFEE SHOP Manchester Area
CHILI
Retro/pop country singer Morgan Clark is a Granite Stater through and through — when she wasn’t driving locomotives at her family’s business, Clark’s Bears and the White Mountain Central Railroad, she was coaching and skiing competitively. Music, however, took her to Nashville, where she honed her craft and learned a thing or two about BBQ along the way. Now she’s bringing both her artistic and culinary talents back to North Woodstock, where she recently opened Morgan’s Diner, specializing in Nashville-inspired Southern food. morgansdiner.com
COFFEE SHOP Concord Area
CHICKEN FINGERS
Puritan Backroom
A Taste of Nashville
A&E Coffee & Tea
Bedford and Salem copperdoor.com
COFFEE ROASTER
Wayfarer Coffee Roasters
Laconia wayfarerroasters.com COFFEE ROASTER Multilocation Local
A&E Coffee & Tea Amherst, Goffstown and Manchester aeroastery.com
COFFEE SHOP OVERALL
Flight Coffee Co. Bedford flightcoffeeco.com
Union Coffee Company COFFEE SHOP Nashua Area
Riverwalk Café & Music Bar
Nashua riverwalknashua.com COFFEE SHOP Salem Area
The Grind
Derry thegrindnh.com COFFEE SHOP Seacoast Region
Adelle’s Coffeehouse Dover adellescoffeehouse.com COFFEE SHOP White Mountains Region
Metropolitan Coffee House
North Conway metropolitancoffeehouse.com CRAB CAKES
Surf Seafood
Portsmouth and Nashua surfseafood.com CRAB CAKES Multilocation Local
The Common Man Multiple Locations thecman.com CUPCAKES
Queen City Cupcakes Manchester qccupcakes.com
DINER OVERALL
Tilt’n Diner
Tilton thecman.com
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FOOD & DRINK
Community Lifeline
The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com DINER Concord Area
Northwood Diner Northwood Facebook
Tamworth tamworthdistilling.com DOUGHNUTS
Donut Love
Exeter and North Hampton donutlove603.com FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINING
DINER Concord Area Multilocation Local
Puritan Backroom
Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com
FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINING Multilocation Local
The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
DINER Dartmouth/ Lake Sunapee Region
4 Aces Diner
West Lebanon 4acesdiner.com DINER Lakes Region
104 Diner
New Hampton thecman.com DINER Manchester Area
Airport Diner Manchester thecman.com
DINER Manchester Area Multilocation Local
The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
Manchester puritanbackroom.com
T-BONES Great American Eatery Multiple Locations t-bones.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT OVERALL
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Overall Multilocation Local
The Common Man
The Barley House
Concord and North Hampton thebarleyhouse.com
DINER Monadnock Region
Andover refinerynh.com
DINER Monadnock Region Multilocation Local
The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com DINER Nashua Area
Joey’s Diner
Amherst joeysdiner.com DINER Salem Area
The Bacon Barn
Londonderry baconbarndiner.com DINER Salem Area/Multilocation Local
MaryAnn’s Diner
Derry, Salem and Windham maryannsdiner.com DINER Seacoast Region
Roundabout Diner and Lounge Portsmouth roundaboutdiner.com
The Refinery
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Great North Woods Region
Rainbow Grille & Tavern Pittsburg rainbowgrille.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Lakes Region
Patrick’s Pub & Eatery Gilford patrickspub.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Lakes Region Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery Multiple Locations t-bones.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Manchester Area
The Copper Door Bedford and Salem copperdoor.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Monadnock Region
Pickity Place
Mason pickityplace.com FAVORITE RESTAURANT Nashua Area
Surf Seafood
Portsmouth and Nashua surfseafood.com
DINER White Mountains Region
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Salem Area
Littleton littletondiner.com
Bedford and Salem copperdoor.com
Littleton Diner
Alan Natkiel goes above and beyond for his guests at Georgia’s Northside in Concord, and his community-centered service goes well beyond the walls of his restaurant. “From donating turkeys to bringing free meals to hospital staff during the COVID surge, the team at Georgia’s Northside have exemplified ‘doing it right’ while doing incredible, people-first business throughout the pandemic,” says Mark Hoban. “Alan and Nate have worked tirelessly to keep the community and their employees safe, fed and sane. They are an absolute boon and deserve every ounce of recognition they get,” he adds. “Alan went above and beyond to offer excellent, unique eats for takeout, keeping staff and customers safe,” says Jana Ford. “He also started selling masks and sanitizer at cost because the prices were so high elsewhere, and he wanted to provide that service to the community. To promote a safe Halloween, he offered bags of candy and treats with every order! A great community leader.” Social media helped Natkiel get the word out during the pandemic, and he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. “We’ve always used social media to market our menu, but since the start of the pandemic, we’ve increasingly used it as a way for us to boost community spirit,” he says. “Even though it seems like things may start returning to normal soon, I have every intention of continuing to run a restaurant that is a community hub.” georgiasnorthside.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Concord Area
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Peterborough peterboroughdiner.com
Community Hub
Multiple Locations thecman.com
Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com
Peterborough Diner
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DISTILLERY
Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile
The Copper Door
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Family Farm
If you were to look up “community” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it wouldn’t be surprising to find Vernon Family Farm listed as an example of the definition. Located on 33 conserved acres in Newfields, this family farm is a one-stop shop for eating food local year-round. They sell a variety of their own non-GMO, pastured chicken and a variety of other grass-fed and pasteurized meats, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, sauces, spices and more at their farm store where they are also able to support another 30 local vendors, small businesses and farms. Community events like Rotisserie Chicken and Live Music nights are a unique, special way to gather safely with your community in a space that serves as your home away from home. vernonfamilyfarm.com
New Neighborhood Bakery
Jon Buatti had some beloved shoes to fill when he purchased Michelle’s Gourmet Pastries and Deli in Manchester. Happily, his Bearded Baking Co. is a hit, and the tradition of delicious baked goods continues at this Union Street shop. It probably didn’t hurt that not long after purchasing the bakery he made it through five episodes of “Holiday Baking Championship” on the Food Network. He may not have won the $25,000 grand prize, but his skills were on full display during his impressive run. beardedbaking.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
FOOD & DRINK
DINER OVERALL Multilocation Local
Bri Hehir and Helen Leavitt are kindred spirits — they both love gardening, brewing and ... kombucha. The first licensed kombucha brewery in the state, Auspicious Brew offers craft kombucha that is brewed, bottled and housed in one of Dover’s iconic mills. Each batch reflects a specific place and moment in time and is inspired by the short, ever-changing New England seasons. Shop online or stop by the brewery to try one-of-a-kind flavors like Party Punch, Lilac Rain, Into the Jungle or Party Hard, their flagship 5.5% ABV hard kombucha. auspiciousbrew.com
Breakfast, Beatified
Ober Easy, in Hampstead, takes dinering (it’s a thing) to a new level. Tim and Sue Ober’s spot right along Route 111 ticks all the important boxes: It’s welcoming and bright, you’ll find a giant cup of coffee hitting the table before your butt hits the seat and, if you’ve been more than once, Sue will know your order. The Amish oatmeal, Benedicts and three-egg omelets, in particular, are great (the Kitchen Sink will get the better of any appetite), but it’s the housemarinated steak tips and eggs that will make you a regular. Pair them with a bloody mary — mixed drinks, beer and wine are available — for an ideal weekend treat. Pro tip: Whatever you order, ask for it “BAM-style,” and they’ll kick it up with a little garlic or heat. obereasy.com
FAVORITE RESTAURANT Seacoast Region
Surf Seafood
Portsmouth and Nashua surfseafood.com FAVORITE RESTAURANT White Mountains Region
Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery North Woodstock woodstockinnbrewery.com FINE DINING RESTAURANT
The Hanover Street Chophouse
Manchester hanoverstreetchophouse.com FOOD TRUCK
Cheese Louise
Conway eatcheeselouise.com GREEK RESTAURANT
Amphora
Derry amphoranh.com GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS
Troy’s Fresh Kitchen and Juice Bar Londonderry troysfreshkitchen.com
GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS Multilocation Regional
110 Grill
Multiple Locations 110grill.com ICE CREAM OVERALL
Hayward’s Ice Cream Nashua haywardsicecream.com ICE CREAM Concord Area
Arnie’s Place
Concord arniesplace.com ICE CREAM Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Sanctuary Dairy Farm Ice Cream Sunapee icecreamkidbeck.com
ICE CREAM Great North Woods Region
Moose Alley Cones
Pittsburg partridgecabins.com/ about-us/moose-alley-cones ICE CREAM Lakes Region PHOTO BY KENDAL J. BUSH
Jordan’s Ice Creamery Belmont Facebook
ICE CREAM Manchester Area
Puritan Backroom
Confection Kingdom
Manchester puritanbackroom.com
A trip to Lickee’s & Chewy’s Candies and Creamery is an unforgettable, immersive experience. Just ask Igor — the dragon that guards the front door of this fantastical space in the Cocheco Mills in Dover. A magic hums throughout the place, creating an atmosphere that’s part Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, part Hogsmeade and part Walt Disney World. Immerse yourself in a fantasy world while indulging in outrageous chocolates, candy, ice cream and massive King Shakes — a range of chilled libations piled high with candy, cookies, nuts, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, chips and chunks. lickeesnchewysstore.com
ICE CREAM Monadnock Region
ICE CREAM Nashua Area
The Big 1 Ice Cream Stand
Nashua thebig1icecream.com ICE CREAM Salem Area
Moo’s Place Homemade Ice Cream Derry and Salem moosplace.com ICE CREAM Seacoast Region
Lago’s Ice Cream Rye lagosicecream.com
ICE CREAM White Mountains Region
Bishops Homemade Ice Cream Littleton Facebook
INDIAN RESTAURANT
Shalimar of India
North Conway shalimarofindianh.com IRISH PUB
Patrick’s Pub & Eatery Gilford patrickspub.com
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano Concord angelinasrestaurant.com
ITALIAN RESTAURANT Multilocation Local
Fratello’s Italian Grille Manchester, Laconia and Nashua fratellos.com
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
Moritomo
Concord moritomonh.com LOBSTER ROLL
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com
LOBSTER ROLL Multilocation Local
The Beach Plum
Epping, North Hampton and Portsmouth thebeachplum.net LOCALLY SOURCED MENU
Pickity Place
Mason pickityplace.com MAC AND CHEESE
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com
The Walpole Creamery
MAC AND CHEESE Multilocation Regional
ICE CREAM Monadnock Region Multilocation Local
Manchester, Portsmouth and Mass. Locations mr-macs.com
Jaffrey and Mass. Locations kimballfarm.com
The Copper Door
Walpole and Keene walpolecreamery.com
Kimball Farm
Mr. Mac’s Macaroni and Cheese
MARTINIS
Bedford and Salem copperdoor.com
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FOOD & DRINK
Kindred Kombucha
Jocelyn’s Mediterranean Restaurant & Martini Lounge Salem jocelynsrestaurantnh.com
MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Hermanos Cocina Mexicana
Concord hermanosmexican.com MEXICAN RESTAURANT Multilocation Local
La Carreta Multiple Locations lacarretamex.com
NEW RESTAURANT
Col’s Kitchen
Concord colsplantbased.com
Sal’s Pizza
Multiple Locations sals-pizza.com PIZZERIA Manchester Area
Alley Cat Pizzeria
Manchester alleycatpizzerianh.com PIZZERIA Manchester Area Multilocation Regional
Sal’s Pizza
Multiple Locations sals-pizza.com PIZZERIA Monadnock Region
Athens Pizza House and Restaurant
OUTDOOR DINING TIE
Keene Facebook
Concord cheersnh.com
PIZZERIA Monadnock Region Multilocation Local
Cheers Grille & Bar
OUTDOOR DINING TIE
Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery North Woodstock woodstockinnbrewery.com PIES Multilocation Local
Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations redarrowdiner.com PIES
Red Wagon Bakery Canaan redwagonbakery.com
PIZZERIA OVERALL
La Festa Brick & Brew Pizza
Dover lafestabrickandbrew.com PIZZERIA Concord Area
Constantly Pizza Concord, Penacook constantlypizza.net
PIZZERIA Concord Area Multilocation Regional
Sal’s Pizza
Multiple Locations sals-pizza.com PIZZERIA Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Charlie Mac’s Pizzeria
Derry and Warner cmacsderry.com, Facebook PIZZERIA Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Multilocation Local
Ziggy’s Pizza
West Lebanon and Sunapee ziggys.pizza PIZZERIA Great North Woods Region
The Burg Pittsburg Facebook
The Pizza Barn
Center Ossipee, Peterborough and Troy pizzabarnnh.com, peterboroughpizzabarn.com, Facebook
Food with a Powerful Purpose
The team at Laney & Lu in Exeter believes that food serves a greater purpose than filling our stomachs — that it has the power to build connection and create a sense of community. They lived out this mission over the past year with their “Help Others” movement to provide nutrient-dense and energizing meals to support and nourish those who need it most. “During the pandemic, Laney & Lu proudly leaned boldly on our mission and values to serve our community,” says owner Jennifer Desrosiers. “Our initiative not only provided more than 4,000 free meals to first responders, healthcare workers and those in need, it also gave our team powerful purpose during an incredibly uncertain time and positively impacted our more than two dozen local farmers and merchants.” As stressful, unpredictable and unprecedented as this year has been, the smiles and tears of joy on tired, worn-out faces as they receive their meals kept Desrosiers and her team going. “What I will remember most are the air high fives amidst the team as we sent off meals to local hospitals, and the fear and exhaustion on the faces of nurses melting into joy as I unloaded boxes of meals to them.” The gratitude and energy behind the movement is a present reminder that a deeper level of joy, love, support, kindness and connection is the new normal. laneyandlu.com
PIZZERIA Monadnock Region Multilocation Regional
Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza Multiple Locations ramuntos.com PIZZERIA Nashua Area
Nashua House of Pizza Nashua nashuahouseofpizza.com
PIZZERIA Nashua Area /Multilocation Local
Kendall Pond Pizza Windham, Dover and Hudson kendallpondpizza.com PIZZERIA Nashua Area Multilocation Regional
Sal’s Pizza
Multiple Locations sals-pizza.com PIZZERIA
Salem Area
Granfanallys Pizza Pub Salem granfanallys.com
PIZZERIA Salem Area Multilocation Regional
Sal’s Pizza
Multiple Locations sals-pizza.com PIZZERIA Seacoast Region
The Community Oven Epping and Hampton thecommunityoven.com
PIZZERIA Lakes Region
PIZZERIA Seacoast Region Multilocation Regional
Tilton tiltonhouseofpizza.com
North Conway and Hampton flatbreadcompany.com
Tilton House of Pizza
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PIZZERIA Lakes Region Multilocation Regional
COURTESY PHOTO
FOOD & DRINK
MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT
The Flatbread Company
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Winery Wonderland
Fans of LaBelle Winery are likely familiar with the flagship vineyard and restaurant in Amherst and the retail shop and tasting room in Portsmouth. Now winemaker/owners Amy LaBelle and her husband Cesar Arboleda have brought new life to the former 45-acre Brookstone Events & Golf site in Derry, turning it into a market, restaurant, winemaking facility, tasting barn and golf course. LaBelle Market features prepared and made-to-order food, from baked goods to entrées, plus grocery items including artisanal cheese, housemade ice cream and pasta, meats, items for the grill and more. If you’re in the mood for a sit-down meal, their newest restaurant, Americus, is adjacent to the market. All of this overlooks the Links at LaBelle Winery, a nine-hole course and Mini Links, 18 holes of fun, family-friendly minigolf. Construction on the tasting barn is expected to be done later this month, and they also plan to include events space and catering services. labellewinery.com/labelle-winery-derry
Breakfast for Good Neighbors
When the pandemic shut everything down, owner Josh Mitchell from Luchador Tacos in North Conway saw it as an invitation to spread joy to other local businesses with one message — We are all in this together. “We decided to deliver breakfast burritos to fellow locally owned businesses each Friday morning with this motto written on the bag,” says Mitchell. “It was a way for us to show them the same sense of unity and support that they showed us when we first opened. We saw them as extended family who were going through the same struggles we were. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such a great community as North Conway.”
SOUP
Elvio’s Pizzeria
Collins Brothers Chowder Co.
PIZZERIA White Mountains Region Multilocation Regional
Billy’s Sports Bar & Grille
North Conway and Moultonborough elviospizzeria.com
The Flatbread Company
North Conway and Hampton flatbreadcompany.com PIZZERIA GOURMET
900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria Manchester 900degrees.com
RESTAURANT WITH BEST BEER LIST
New England’s Tap House Grille Hooksett taphousenh.com
RESTAURANT WITH BEST BEER List Multilocation Local
Nashua collinsbrotherschowder.com SPORTS BAR
Manchester Facebook
STEAKHOUSE
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com TACOS
Taco Beyondo
Hillsborough tacobeyondo.com TACOS Multilocation Local
La Carreta
Multiple Locations lacarretamex.com
THAI RESTAURANT
Thirsty Moose Taphouse Siam Orchid Multiple Locations thirstymoosetaphouse.com RESTAURANT WITH BEST WINE LIST
COURTESY PHOTO
The Bedford Village Inn Bedford bedfordvillageinn.com
Coffee for Commoners
One thing we’ve all learned from the pandemic is that we appreciate the whole concept of “normal” a lot more now. And among the many things we love that have grown far too exotic is that basic morning fuel we call the common cup of coffee. Variety is important, but so is consistency and the careful calibration of heat and coffee bean to produce a sweet, nutty, caffeine-infused moment of perfection every morning. The New Hampshire Coffee Roasting Co. has this balance figured out perfectly. Founded as Piscataqua Coffee Roasters back in 1989, the company moved to its current location in Dover and has been a family enterprise ever since, gradually becoming the default bean at many of the state’s best restaurants. You can also order it directly from them at their website. We recommend the sturdy Soprano Dark Roast and, if you insist on getting fancy, try their maple syrup-flavored roast with your pancakes. nhcoffee.com
VEGETARIAN
Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro & Bar
SANDWICH
Portsmouth greenelephantnh.com
Conway eatcheeselouise.com
LaBelle Winery
Cheese Louise The feeling is mutual. “The team at Luchador Tacos has gone above and beyond multiple times for supporting local business in our community,” says Four Your Paws Only manager Sarah Davis. “We were surprised that we were chosen to receive free burritos from them. The staff certainly enjoyed them, as most of us are regulars dining with our next-door neighbors.” “It was a sweet surprise when they called us and said they wanted to treat our staff to breakfast,” says Big Dave’s Bagel owner Dave Hausman. “Since we are always serving our breakfast to others, it was nice to have breakfast served to us.” There are a number of other stories from businesses with the same message: Luchador Tacos shared more than just breakfast burritos — they shared their love for food with friends and kept joy on the menu during a time when those receiving it needed it the most. luchadortacosnc.com
Concord siamorchid.net
WINERY OR VINEYARD
SANDWICH Multilocation Local
Amherst, Derry and Portsmouth labellewinerynh.com
Multiple Locations wrapcitysandwiches.com
Billy’s Sports Bar & Grille
Wrap City Sandwich Company
WINGS
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Manchester Facebook
Nashua and Portsmouth surfseafood.com
WINGS Multilocation local
Surf Seafood
Wing-itz
Portsmouth, Dover and Newmarket wing-itz.com
Bakery Bread
Anyone who’s been to the award-winning Greenleaf restaurant in Milford knows how delish the bread is. So, when owner/ executive chef Chris Viaud opened nearby Culture featuring his breads, it was an instant hit. The from-scratch kitchen offers fresh-baked breads, artisan sandwiches and housemade pastries. A lot of people agree with one satisfied patron who said, “So glad to have such great food without having to drive to Boston.” Why is it called Culture? Yes, it’s bread-related. Think sourdough. culturenh.com
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FOOD & DRINK
PIZZERIA White Mountains Region
New Hampshire is home to miles of great mountain biking trails and parks (see our recent story on lift-service mountain biking at nhmagazine.com for more), and that means there are plenty of Granite Staters who enjoy hurtling down hills on knobby wheels. If you count yourself among the truly passionate, you might want to get in touch with Kristofer Henry. Henry is the founder and owner of 44 Bikes in Lyndeboro, where he turns a lifelong love of the sport into custom-built bikes. While the process might not be for everyone — it’s not something that’s finished overnight — for those looking for their own unique ride, this might be the perfect fit. 44bikes.com 68
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
PHOTO BY ANTHONY SHEA
Bespoke Bikes
Junction 71
CATERER
Celebrations Catering
Manchester Amherst celebrationsmenu.com junction71.wixsite.com/mysite AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
Grappone Automotive Group Bow grappone.com
BARBERSHOP
BEER STORE
Lull Farm
COURTESY IMAGE
Hooksett bertsbetterbeers.com BICYCLE SHOP
S&W Sports Concord swsports.net
Outstanding Retailer
DELICATESSEN
Biederman’s Deli Plymouth biedermans.com
Bert’s Better Beers
What used to be the Rockingham Park horse racing track is currently transforming into a 3.8-million-square-foot, mixed-use super regional destination, thanks to Tuscan Brands. Tuscan Village in Salem is a 170-acre property complete with a grocery store, luxury apartments, bars, fitness facility, live entertainment, brewery, beer garden, restaurants, retailers, and a variety of local and national brands with more joining the megacenter by the end of the construction process in 2022. The overall goal? For it to be a place for you to be able to “Live. Stay. Work. Play.” tuscanvillagesalem.com
Rochester jetpackcomics.com
Lucky’s Barbershop
Concord and Portsmouth luckysbarbershop.biz
Super Salem
COMIC BOOK STORE
Jetpack Comics & Games
BICYCLE SHOP Multilocation Local
Goodale’s Bike Shop Hooksett, Nashua and Concord goodalesbikeshop.com BUTCHER SHOP
Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery Raymond thetuckaway.com
FARMSTAND
Hollis and Milford livefreeandfarm.com FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
Meagan Sbat, Get Fit NH Concord getfitnh.com FLORIST
Cobblestone Design Company
Concord cobblestoneflorist.com GARDEN CENTER
Wentworth Greenhouses & Garden Center Rollinsford wentworthgreenhouses.com
Living Gifts
Opening its doors way back in 1972, the Toadstool Bookshop has served a whole generation of book buyers. But, never, in all that time, has it faced anything as challenging as the pandemic. In March of this past year, all three of its locations, in Peterborough, Nashua and Keene, were closed down. Facing an uncertain future, the family business had to lay off just about everyone. Soon, though, the phones were ringing off the hook, as they used to say, with customers ordering books to be delivered curbside. Online sales soared as well. The community support that Willard Williams and his family had built over the years paid off. “They wanted us to survive,” he says. In mid-June last year, they were able to reopen, though social distancing was required and the comfy chairs that encouraged people to linger were gone. “That was our whole concept,” Williams says. “We want them to linger.” But still they came. He’s grateful, he says, that people understand the importance of a local bookstore, not just to patrons but to the sense of community. In January, the Toadstool Bookshop was named Retailer of the Year by the NH Retail Association for meeting the highest standards of excellence, and they did it during a difficult year. But Williams feels obliged to share the award. As he says, “Any retail store that’s still around is equally deserving.” toadbooks.com
Alison Murphy and Alyssa McClary opened their dream shop Penumbra in the shell of the famous old French’s Toy Store on the corner of Warren and State streets in Concord in March 2020, and were open a whole week before COVID-19 locked down the whole Live Free or Die state. The concept of a gift shop featuring mostly small succulents and philodendrons in interesting pots was daring to begin with, but it was also pretty timely. “Our aesthetic is ‘plants we can’t kill,’ because neither of us has background in plants, but we love them,” their website says. And the opportunity to offer something living (and hardy) as a gift during our “plague year” became popular, giving the owners a chance to keep the doors open via pickup and delivery. As the world opens up, the shop has expanded to offer a variety of similarly spot-on gifts, all stylish and resilient. penumbra.shop
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SHOPS & SERVICES
ANTIQUE OR VINTAGE SHOP
Manchester prestocraftkitchen.com
PET GROOMER
Mac & Cooper’s Pet Supply Outlet
HAIR SALON
Portsmouth macandcoppers.com
Dover hdaze.com
Mac & Cooper’s Pet Supply Outlet
Hair Daze Salon and Spa HOME DÉCOR SHOP
Junction 71
Amherst junction71.wixsite.com/ mysite
PET SUPPLIES STORE
Portsmouth macandcoppers.com PET TRAINING
No Monkey Business Dog Training
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
Concord nomonkeybusinessdogtraining.com
Concord gibsonsbookstore.com
SECONDHAND CLOTHING SHOP
Gibson’s Bookstore INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FITNESS CENTER
Get FIt NH
Concord getfitnh.com INDOOR CYCLING
M&C Clothing and Goods Amherst m-c-clothing-and-goods. myshopify.com SKI SHOP
Piche’s Ski & Sport Shop
CycleFierce
Gilford and Belmont piches.com
JEWELER
Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop
Portsmouth cyclefierce.com
Bellman’s
Manchester bellmans.com KID’S CLOTHING SHOP
Puddlejumpers Children’s Shop
Exeter puddlejumpersnh.com LOCAL JEWELER WITH STORE
Bellman’s
Manchester bellmans.com MEN’S CLOTHING SHOP
George’s Apparel Manchester georgesapparel.com PET BOARDING
K9 Kaos
Dover k9kaos.com
SPECIALTY FOOD STORE
Manchester angelaspastaandcheese.com TOY STORE
G. Willikers! Books & Toys
Portsmouth g-willikers-books-toys. myshopify.com WINE SHOP
WineNot Boutique Nashua winenotboutique.com WOMEN’S CLOTHING SHOP
Fitness Lifeline
Just because her doors were closed for the last year didn’t mean that Meagan Sbat couldn’t keep working out and checking in with her clients. “Meagan and her crew of trainers have consistently gone above and beyond this past year. She cares for all her family of clients and reached out to us consistently this year making sure we are OK, and provided us with positive messages and quality training to help keep us healthy,” says Jean Picard. “I needed to have Get Fit NH, especially this year, to help with my physical and mental health. Meagan has been a lifesaver always, but especially this year when our lives have been turned upside down.” As soon as gyms closed, says Lisa Baron, Sbat immediately turned to the web. “She never missed a beat,” says Baron. “As soon as gyms were allowed to be open, she was careful about social distancing and sanitizing and, when the location proved too small to accommodate all her clients, she rented a much larger facility and improved the distant requirements and so much more. Meagan cares so much about her clients, you know it is her life passion!” Just as Sbat has been a rock for her clients, she insists that they supported her right back. “I can’t even put into words how grateful I am to serve the Get Fit NH community,” she says. “They have been my rock through COVID, and have given me a reason to fight for them because they continued to show up every single day.” getfitnh.com
Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co.
Foraging
Concord gondwanaclothing.com YOGA STUDIO
Sol Power Yoga
Bedford solpoweryoga.com
Community Wellness
The Moon River Wellness Center did not duck when the coronavirus struck New Hampshire. In fact, it was really a call to action. The center had just opened in the heart of Pelham to serve as a true “center” for the community and continues an evangelical outreach to the surrounding communities promoting yoga, massage and other alternative paths to wellness. Created by a local family with deep roots in town, the Moon River mission extends to providing assistance to area nonprofits via their “Yoga on the Green” program where class fees are donated to assist the arts and to feed local families. moonriverwellness center.com 70
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Place to Recharge
People have been going to Wolfeboro to get away from the pressures of life since before the founding of our country, eventually earning the lakeside community the motto of “Oldest Summer Resort in America.” But what if you already want to live on the lake and still want to get away from it all? Ohm Lifestyle Center in Wolfeboro has a few ideas for you, ranging from the sweet heat of an infrared sauna to the infinite drift of a float tank built for two. Ohm just completed extensive upgrade on their already-top-ofthe-line facilities, and they offer all the conventional spa and styling amenities, just paired up with state-of-the-art features like their hyperbaric oxygen chamber. ohmlifestyle.com
Unless you really know what you’re doing, foraging on your own — especially for mushrooms — can be risky and, for those of us without easy access to the forest, it might be out of the question entirely. Gorham-based Douglas Gralenski of the White Mountain Forager spends his time in the woods hunting down ramps, fiddleheads, gourmet wild mushrooms, berries and other plants, both edible and medicinal. With a degree in wildlife management and about three decades of experience as a conservation officer, Gralenski knows his way around what’s safe to eat, and respects the natural world, sustainable harvesting techniques and landowner ethics. Some items are in stock seasonally via his website, but otherwise you can find the fruits of his labors at farmers markets (see the White Mountain Forager Facebook page) and select stores, which are listed on his website. whitemountainforager.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
SHOPS & SERVICES
GOURMET TO GO
Presto Craft Kitchen
Frizzhome Gardens in Bedford feels like a find even though it’s not exactly far off the beaten path — it’s just a couple of miles from busy Route 3 — but when you arrive after driving through a quiet residential area, it looks like you might be pulling into someone’s driveway. This unassuming family-owned and -operated center is packed with plants, most of which are grown onsite and are very affordable. A tour around the open-air stands and many greenhouses reveals a huge variety of plants from the expected to the surprising. Walk through the main building to the tropical greenhouse to explore a world that feels very far from New Hampshire. This lush space is teeming with succulents, cacti, birds of paradise, plumeria (also known as lei flowers), cycads, canna lilies and more beautiful and unusual (at least for New England) species. If you’re looking for something new and different — and the advice for how to care for your latest garden addition — this is the place. frizzhomegardens.com
SHOPS & SERVICES
Garden Gem
Quilter’s Heaven
Angels Sewing and Quilting opened in Salem in the thick of the pandemic, supplying the growing demand for useful and creative outlets for all those all those hunkering down at home. Created by Carol Lawrence of Red Arrow Diner fame, Angels is similarly dense with product, fun promotions (like “Sew Fun Sundays”) and knowledgeable, earnest staff. Lawrence says the Red Arrows are all doing just fine, thanks. She just wanted to try something new, and she’s gone in 100% on this new shop, reflecting her own love of the art of stitchery. The shop offers free lessons with every sewing machine sold and they carry the best — Baby Lock, Brother, Janome — and they think they are the only Juki brand distributor in the state. Along with classes in a variety of sewing skills, Lawrence does a Facebook Live presentation every Friday at 9. “I’m in heaven,” she says, “living the dream.” angelssewing.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
The Party Will Go On
Among the many tragedies caused by the pandemic are the innumerable missed events — birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays, and all the things big and small that bring us together. Even though gatherings were on hold, Victoria Maccini, owner of Party Through Life, created a way to help people keep celebrating life’s special moments with that familiar party staple — balloons. But these aren’t just a bunch tied to a mailbox — these are works of art. But why balloons? Because, says Maccini, like the pop of a champagne cork, they’re shorthand for celebration. “You just know something fun is going to start when you see balloons,” she says. “My family gave me a surprise birthday and the decorations were done so beautifully by Victoria,” says Sandra Pinelle. “She captured my love of sunflowers so perfectly! It brightened an otherwise horrid, isolated COVID birthday. The decorations were wonderful! I was also able to keep them up to cheer me through the weeks following my actual birthday. Words cannot express my thanks.” Maccini also constructed a colorful explosion of balloons at her home to cheer up the neighbors, and donated displays to graduating seniors. “She didn’t even know the kids, she just saw the high school pride signs in the yard and showed up with beautiful displays,” says Brenda Prusak. “I know it made those poor kids feel better knowing their efforts were still celebrated. It was such a kind gesture.” Make sure to follow her on Instagram at @party_through_life to see her latest creations. partythroughlife.com nhmagazine.com | July 2021 71
“When we were forced to close, there was a lot of talk about drive-in movies being the only potential form of entertainment available last summer,” says Scott Hayward of Tupelo Music Hall in Derry. “After surveying our property, it became clear that we could host drive-in shows. We quickly rebranded the venue as the Tupelo Drive-In Experience and opened on May 16 with new logos, a new schedule of events and COVID show policies. It was a daunting task but everybody worked together to make it happen, including the Town of Derry. We would never have been able to accomplish this without the help of our fantastic employees. We ended up hosting 115 events last year at the new drive-in.” The experience gained local and national attention with sold-out events, a write-up in the Washington Post, and even a brief mention in Rolling Stone magazine. As the summer went on, Hayward and his team were able to see the impact their shows were having on their community and why they needed to continue. “We were able to help a handful of nonprofits salvage their fundraisers, hosted graduations, held recitals, and made it so artists were able to make enough money to pay their mortgage for another month,” says Hayward. “People were afraid and hurting last year. It was nice to provide a musical outlet for people in such a chaotic world. Watching people dance in their parking spaces or just sit in the warm sun and enjoy the music really showcased the simple healing power of music.” tupelomusichall.com
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PHOTO BY JERRY L0FARO
Revamped Drive In
Timberlane Regional High School’s Milkmen Improv Troupe is used to dealing with the unexpected — just not pandemic-level unexpected, maybe. Still, led by coach and teacher Michael Castano, 10 students — and four members of an in-house band, Udder Chaos — kept the laughs, and fundraising, coming through the entire lockdown. “I love how the unifying factor of laughter can overcome our day-to-day trivialities,” Castano says. “We can find a level of catharsis through our comedy.” Staying focused also allowed the group to continue to donate proceeds to nonprofits — something at the core of its mission. Recent beneficiaries have included Project Hope and the Exeter Field Hockey Memorial Scholarship. “It goes hand in hand with what we’re doing — putting the team before your individual performance,” Castano says. “The kids are doing something truly altruistic. They may never interact with or meet with these people or their families; they’re just doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.” timberlane.net
ART GALLERY
AVA Gallery and Art Center Lebanon avagallery.org
AM RADIO STATION
WGIR 610
Manchester wgiram.iheart.com FM RADIO STATION
WZID 95.7 Manchester wzid.com
INDEPENDENT MOVIE THEATER
Red River Theatres Concord redrivertheatres.org
LARGE MUSIC VENUE
Bank of NH Pavilion Gilford banknhpavilion.com METEOROLOGIST
Hayley LaPoint WMUR Manchester wmur.com MUSEUM
Currier Museum of Art Manchester currier.org
NH RADIO MORNING SHOW
Greg and the Morning Buzz, WHEB Manchester wheb.iheart.com
NH RADIO TALK SHOW
“The Exchange,” NHPR Concord nhpr.org
SMALL MUSIC VENUE
Tupelo Music Hall
Derry tupelomusichall.com THEATER/PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
The Palace Theater Manchester palacetheatre.org
TV NEWS ANCHOR
Erin Fehlau WMUR Manchester wmur.com
TV NEWS REPORTER
Ray Brewer WMUR Manchester wmur.com
TV SPORTS ANCHOR
Jamie Staton WMUR Manchester wmur.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
Inspiring Poet
Being New Hampshire’s poet laureate is more than just an honor for Alexandria Peary — it’s a chance to effect change in a part of our state that’s too often underserved. Meant to reach kids in Coös County, her inaugural North Country Young Writers’ Festival took place this past May, bringing together graduate and undergraduate student leaders, accomplished student poets and bright young writers via virtual workshops, games, activities and more. Originally meant to take place in person at the White Mountains Community College (a partner of the festival), the pandemic caused a change of plans. The two-day event was free to New Hampshire residents, and featured advice and input from bestselling authors, published poets and more. In addition to organizing a brand-new festival, Peary is the author of seven books (and is working on more), teaches at Salem State University and offers writing workshops. On top of all that, through the month of April she published daily writing prompts to encourage local poets to submit to her second volume of “COVID Spring.” You can purchase volume one at Hobblebush Books. hobblebush.com
Arts for All
First of all, the Loading Dock is not actually a loading dock. What it is may sound complicated — an all-ages collaborative multidisciplinary creative space — but the concept is really pretty simple (and clever). This inclusive and welcoming space in Littleton provides a venue for music and art, and it’s open to all. It’s something like a co-op, run by friends, volunteers and bandmates, but is also available for event rentals. It’s host to touring musicians, artists, local bands and community events from poetry readings to birthday parties. The 1,000-square-foot space has room for 100 people, a full PA sound system and, yes, a loading dock to facilitate bringing equipment in and out. Check out the website for a calendar of events, or get in touch to hold your own concert or movie screening. theloadingdocknh.com nhmagazine.com | July 2021 73
ARTS & CULTURE
Laugh it Up, Pay it Forward
ARTS & CULTURE Historic Host
PHOTO BY DAVE TURNER OF PRO PICTURES
We chose Canterbury Shaker Village as the site of this year’s reimagined Best of NH celebration (see page 88 for more information) for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it’s a beautiful place. The nearly 700 acres include trails that wind through quintessential New Hampshire countryside. And it’s not just natural beauty you’ll find at this National Historic Landmark — the Shaker aesthetic is everywhere, from the 25 original and four reconstructed buildings to the iconic furniture; the style of simplicity permeates the grounds. Then there’s the deep sense of history you feel when standing in a place established almost 230 years ago. The connection to the past is rich here, and there’s much to be learned. The Shakers may be best known for celibacy and simple living, but they were also the most successful communitarian society in American history, developing and adopting new technologies to build industry after industry, reinvesting their earnings into the community. The Shaker brand, so to speak, became known for quality, integrity and reliability. Shakers also believed in equality of the sexes, cared for the poor, and used their resources to promote social good. Today, the museum is ideal for quiet reflection, a place to slow down and revisit a past that still has lessons to teach us. shakers.org
For over a decade, Building on Hope has organized massive community efforts to provide local nonprofits with critical physical updates to their buildings. These huge undertakings, which take months to plan, typically take place over two intense weeks during the summer “Extreme Home Makeover”-style. Volunteers from all backgrounds — contractors, painters, plumbers, interior designers, artists and many, many more — donate their time and expertise to bring new life to places such as Girls Inc. in Manchester, the Crisis Center of Central NH in Concord, the Manchester Police Athletic League and more. In total, more than 2,000 people and companies were involved over the years, and an estimated $6.2 million was raised in donated labor and materials. This year, though, co-chairs Jonathan Halle and Karen Van Der Beken — along with the committee members and volunteers — faced their biggest challenge yet: a pandemic. In December 2020, Building on Hope finished the makeover of the Nashua Police Athletic League’s (Nashua PAL) 100-year-old facility, months after the initially planned two-week build. Due to safety concerns and restrictions, tasks that were usually accomplished concurrently with a swarm of volunteers had to be done one by one. It was a long, difficult process. But no one gave up. Nashua PAL is a safe haven for local youth, where about 600 at-risk kids from the ages of 7 to 18 can find support, help with school work, mentoring, access to athletics and more. No one involved wanted to leave them without the space they promised. Today, from the exterior murals created by Positive Street Art to the brand-new Creative Learning Center, the once-shabby building was transformed into a welcoming home. “At every turn, it exceeds all our expectations,” Shaun Nelson, executive director of Nashua PAL, recently told our sister publication New Hampshire Home Magazine. “I see the building as a tool for our organization to use to access, strengthen and educate our young community members. We’ve been doing this for a lot of years … and did a good job before, but with this new building, now we can do it even better. In every room you can feel love. … We’re going to change kids’ lives in this building.” You can read more about Building on Hope and the Nashua PAL project in Karen A. Jamrog’s recent story at nhhomemagazine.com. buildingonhope.org
COURTESY PHOTO
Extreme Dedication
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PHOTO BY NUA TOY-GILES
Theater Town
The Long Journey
American pop/hip-hop artist Martin Toe was born in West Africa and survived the Ivorian and Liberian civil wars before his winding journey brought him to the Granite State. He grew up here and now thrives as an author, community organizer and leader. That circuitous path has also provided him with a diverse combination of skills and experiences that make up the tapestry of his captivating, inspiring and raw lyricism. Toe’s music, including his most recent, aptly titled, “Civic Leader,” is a collection of Afro-pop and R&B with touches of everything from Bob Marley to Pete Seeger. He was named the 2020 Stay Work Play New Hampshire Civic Leader of the Year — an honor both reflected and illustrated in how he engages audiences, communicates his message, and leaves listeners challenged and enlightened. martintoe.com
RIGHT: MARK MYERS PHOTOGRAPHY / FAR RIGHT: COURTESY PHOTOS
And the Beat Goes On
There must be something in the lake water around Laconia, because not one but two historic theaters are just about ready to welcome back eager audiences. Both the Opera House of Lakeport established in 1882 (pictured below), and the Colonial Theatre of Laconia, originally built in 1914, underwent extensive renovations to bring these beautiful venues back to their former glory (with some modern updates, of course). The three-level Opera House is home to both Wayfarer Coffee Roasters Café and The Laconia Daily Sun on the first floor, the theater in the middle, and topfloor apartments with soaring, original ceilings. The Colonial will begin showing off its $14.4 million rebuild (with many gorgeous original details) starting in late July when comedian Bob Marley takes the stage. lakeportopera.com, coloniallaconia.com
Arts Educators
As March 2020 turned into April, children’s music educator Mr. Aaron (aka Aaron Jones of Rattlebox Studio in Concord) realized staying home was the new normal. He took his regular in-person classes for kids ages 1 to 6 online, hoping to create some semblance of normalcy. “Not only is it a good educational experience for the kids to keep interacting and singing — and experiencing all those things that are good about music — it was also a really positive family experience,” says Jones. “It’s something for kids to do and look forward to, a chance to see a familiar face, and maybe it lets parents have a nap.” Parents agreed, and dozens wrote in to share their appreciation for Jones’ efforts. “As soon as the pandemic hit,” says Aimee Tucker, “he amped up his livestreams to allow those of us struggling to work from home with toddlers a much-needed mutual break. He works so hard and brings so much joy — I am eternally grateful to him for giving us that musical lifeline. Especially in the earliest days of lockdown.” Alexandra Stewart agrees. “For those of us with young kids working from home with no childcare or school, Mr. Aaron helped give some enrichment, connection and structure to those days,” she says. “It felt like a lifeline. He created community when we couldn’t be together.” mraaronmusic.com
When lifelong lover and supporter of the arts Carolyn Jenkins passed away in 1981, she gifted the City of Concord with her family’s home, the Kimball Jenkins Estate, with directions that it be used for cultural and educational purposes, including the “encouragement of art.” Today, this beautiful property is home to the Kimball Jenkins School of Art, where each year more than 1,300 students study drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, woodworking, glass, sculpture and more. And now, as the school continues to expand upon Jenkins’ vision, ballet and hip hop (plus other cultural dance and music) were added to the list of disciplines, thanks to creative collaborations with Eastern Ballet and Vibes of Style. kimballjenkins.com
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ARTS & CULTURE Project CommUNITY
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Humor Summit
New Hampshire is a funny place, which may account for the number of nationally famous comics who call it home, but for a taste of true local humor you have to dig a little deeper. We have probed the state with our comedy detector and selected two local humorists who tell funny stories that are as sweet as sugar on snow and as gritty as a swimsuit at Hampton Beach to headline the Granite State Humor Summit for our 2021 Best of NH party. Northwood’s “Moose of Humor” Rebecca Rule and Fred Marple of the semi-mythical village of Frost Heaves will unite their storytelling powers in a tour de force presentation titled: “What’s So Funny About New Hampshire.” The comic collaboration will debut (and perhaps finale) at this year’s “Best” bash, which will take place at Canterbury Shaker Village on August 21. Visit rebeccarule.com and frostheaves.com and bestofnh.com for more.
COURTESY PHOTOS
When the pandemic hit last spring, food pantries and other organizations that supply food had trouble keeping their shelves stocked. Demand was high, and getting higher as each week went by. The New Hampshire Food Bank, which supplies a network of more than 400 organizations around the state, was hard-pressed to meet the demand. Then came Project CommUNITY: NH Together From Home, an on-air fundraiser that, in April, collected a whopping $1.8 million to buy food for distribution by the Food Bank. The fundraiser was a joint effort of WMUR-TV and iHeartRadio, with on-air personalities Erin Fehlau, Sean McDonald and Greg Kretschmar hosting it. Behind the scenes, spearheading the effort, were Kretschmar and Alisha McDevitt, WMUR news director. They organized the hourlong special, managing a mass of volunteers and star-studded support that included Adam Sandler, Seth Meyers, Ken Burns, Recycled Percussion, Matt Bonner and many others. “People really came together,” McDevitt says. “It was a team effort.” The end result: More than 3,650,000 meals provided to those in need. Eileen Groll Liponis, executive director of the Food Bank, says, “Little did we realize how amazing this special event would be. [It] was beyond our wildest dreams.” nhfoodbank.org
Outdoor Concerts
When most people were struggling with the decision about which puzzle to tackle next or which TV show to binge last year, Mike Chadinha and Seth McNally at Northlands (formerly Drive-In Live) began plotting a summer of live music at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey. The venue began producing shows in July, and the season included artists like Guster, Blue Oyster Cult and the Allman Betts Band. Patrons would park in a staggered formation, sit in lawn chairs just to the left of their vehicles, and allow live music to wash over them under the stars — at the time, a very rare and welcome opportunity. Now, with a new season and a new procedure planned, (concertgoers will occupy 10-by-10 pods) comes a new name: Northlands. With Badfish, Indigo Girls and Dino Jr. already swinging through the Swanzey venue this year, expect to see the Marshall Tucker Band, Umphreys McGee and America, among others — keeping a welcome sense that things are getting better. northlandslive.com
Past Prefect
R.P. Hale doesn’t exactly live in the past, though you might wonder if he has a time machine hidden in a closet somewhere. As a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen, Hale’s profile describes him as “a multigenerational interdisciplinary artist, scientist and teacher. He is a nationally known master calligrapher, medical illustrator, wood engraver, paper marbler, harpsichord maker as well as concert musician.” He teaches in all those fields, they add. He studies Mayan cultures and runs workshops on traditional Mexican/Aztec cooking. Oh, and he’s a regular player in the Celtic music sessions at The Barley House in Concord, his home town. Learn more or send him a message via Facebook: R.P. Hale/La Imprenta Azteca.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Deep Grooves
Hip hop culture exists in New Hampshire, but mostly in small doses — house parties, some basement emceeing, and an increasing respect for street art as a way to brighten up some downtown walls. Brand-new band Fee and the Evolutionists represents something rare in the local scene — continuity. Bill Fee and Ruby Shabazz performed percussion and vocals in the madly popular Ruby and the Groove, who have been based in the Nashua region since 2018. This new project of the power couple harks back to the golden age of hip hop featuring “conscious rhymes, good vibes and crowd participation,” weaving the familiar sounds of soul and R&B into a contemporary soundscape that is guaranteed to induce dancing, even in a room of stoic New Englanders. Facebook: fee and the evolutionists nhmagazine.com | July 2021 77
Adventure seekers need to know about Hub North in Gorham. It has everything you need, including glamping sites, a cozy lodge, communal kitchens, serene spirit and location that is minutes away from hiking trailheads in the northern Presidential Range of the White Mountains. Over 20 miles of biking are available year-round, as are options for plenty of hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing and alpine skiing. Whether you visit in the winter or summer, the fun and excitement you find around every corner at Hub North remains the same. hubnorthnh.com 78
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PHOTOS BY JOE KLEMENTOVICH
Four-Season Hub for Adventure
Whitewater Park
There are plenty of water parks to enjoy around the Granite State every summer, but this one may take the cake. The small city of Franklin has big plans with its new Mill City Park opening mid-September. Owner, founder and director Marty Parichand is in charge of bringing the park to life with its innovative and unique whitewater rafting park, guided trails, river outlook points, community gardens, ampitheater and more, with two additional whitewater features opening in 2022. The primary goal? Connect the community to the river with low-cost outdoor fun. millcitypark.com
FUN & ADVENTURE
Reimagined Fundraiser
For the 20th anniversary of Seek the Peak, organizers have turned what was once an annual White Mountains hike-a-thon into an expo filled with other outdoor activities (all human-powered), and will offer both virtual and onsite events to celebrate the spirit of adventure. What hasn’t changed is the charitable aspect — this is still a critical fundraiser for the nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory. This year, on July 16-17, the event is open to people of all abilities, from experienced hikers to beginners. Whether you love mountain biking, fly-fishing, trail running or climbing, Seek the Peak welcomes those passionate about outdoor sports. Experts will host clinics (virtual and in-person), and there are opportunities for both guided and self-guided activities. Great Glen Trails at the Mount Washington Auto Road will serve as the base camp. mt-washington.com, mountwashington.org
BED AND BREAKFAST
Christmas Farm Inn and Spa Jackson christmasfarminn.com CAMPGROUND
Wakeda Campground Hampton Falls wakedacampground.com DAY SPA
The Wingate Salon & Spa Stratham wingatespa.com
FAMILY-FRIENDLY RESORT TIE
RiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain
Lincoln riverwalkresortatloon.com FAMILY-FRIENDLY RESORT TIE
The Inn at East Hill Farm Troy east-hill-farm.com
NH SPORTS TEAM
COURTESY PHOTOS
Squambats, Assemble!
The next time an unidentified object streaks across the horizon in the Lakes Region, rest easy. It could just be a Squambat. The Squambats are a group of adrenaline junkie “ice sailors” who whip, glide, zoom, fly and float atop the surface of New Hampshire’s lakes. In the colder months, the Squambats (Squam Lake is home base) zip across the ice and snow on kitewings and skis or skates — borne aloft and across the frozen landscape and broads by wind power, pushing and lifting these thrill-seekers to top speeds of 58 mph. In the warmer months, it’s all about foiling and winging and kiting across the water, where riders hit 25 mph as they skip across the waves. squambats.com
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Manchester milb.com/new-hampshire RESORT/HOTEL SPA
Wentworth by the Sea A Marriott Hotel & Spa New Castle marriott.com
SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION OVERALL
Canobie Lake Park Salem canobie.com
SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Mount Sunapee Resort Newbury mountsunapee.com
SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION Lakes Region
Gunstock Mountain Resort Gilford gunstock.com SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION Manchester Area
Bear Brook State Park Pittsburg bearrockadventures.com SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION Monadnock Region
Northlands (Drive-In Live) Swanzey drive-in-live.com
SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION Seacoast Region
Hampton Beach Hampton hamptonbeach.org
SKI RESORT
SUMMER OUTDOOR ATTRACTION White Mountains Region
Lincoln loonmtn.com
Jefferson santasvillage.com
Loon Mountain
Santa’s Village
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FUN && ADVENTURE ADVENTURE FUN
Glamping
Our stay-at-home lives were paradoxically both isolating and over-connected. As many turned to screens big and small to work and talk to family and friends, unplugging became even more difficult. Getaway Blake Brook in Epsom has the solution. Amenities and features at these fully furnished tiny cabins include a huge picture window, two queen beds, shower, drinking water, AC and heat, electric toilet, mini kitchen, fire pit and, crucially, a lockbox for your cell phone. If you do crack and bust out a device, you won’t find any Wi-Fi. Campers can enjoy the restorative aspects of nature in comfort and without any electronic interruptions. Cabins are situated 50 to 100 feet apart on 20 acres of Bear Brook Sate Park, so human interaction is kept at a minimum. However, should you find yourself craving a little company, the excellent Blasty Bough Brewing is within walking distance. theoutbound.com/lodging/getaway-blake-brook
Curbside Comedy
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Disc Golf
This sport has been around since 1976, and only keeps picking up more and more traction with anyone and everyone. Top O’ The Hill Disc Golf in Canterbury is celebrating 10 years of being in business this year, and owner Marty Vaughn says that not even a pandemic can slow them down. The four-season, 18-hole course is open seven days a week and is only $8 for one round or a full day of disc golf. Whether you are a first-time disc golfer or seasoned pro, or playing solo or with friends or family, this course will leave you coming back for more outdoor fun. Facebook
Upscale Ski Lodge
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The new Rosebrook Lodge at the top of the Bretton Woods Skyway Gondola combines a swanky ski resort feel with a traditional lodge. Inside the striking building, hungry skiers and riders can grab a pizza or sandwich at Crystal Hill, and those just interested in dining in an unusual setting can sit down at the Switchback Grille for cocktails and European-inspired dishes such as raclette. The Skyway — the state’s first eight-person gondola — is also quite the impressive ride, and you’d be hard-pressed to beat the views of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range. brettonwoods.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY, KENDAL J. BUSH
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How often do you get to see comedians who perform at sophisticated venues in New York City performing on a front porch in New Hampshire? Answer: Never. Unless, that is, it’s in the middle of a pandemic. Case in point: Last spring, comedians Connor Kwiecien and Trevor Glassman, both 20-something New Hampshire natives, left New York to wait out the pandemic at home. Not long after their arrival, they created Curbside Comedy, performing on front porches, lawns, parking lots, wherever people could set up socially distanced chairs. Though it’s hard to know if people in masks are laughing, their goal was to add some funny to a situation that decidedly was not, and do what they love at the same time. Another goal — to raise money for Comedy Gives Back, which helps out struggling comedians, and Direct Relief, which helps people recover from disasters. To date, they’ve done more than 40 pop-up shows and donated $6,000 of the proceeds. And they’re still at it, even expanding to all of New England with plans to go nationwide. Proving that adversity can create opportunity, Glassman says, “We’ve found a whole new area of comedy. We’re bringing comedy to the people.” Facebook
Since 1935, the Makris family has been hosting visitors on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee at the NASWA Resort. The resort is steeped in bright, rustic charm, and it invites you to unplug from your busy life for a relaxing summer vacation. Lakeside rooms, suites and cottages offer private balconies, lake views, wake-up service and even pet-friendly rooms for your four-legged friends. Amenities with local flair include a dock space for you to bring your own boat, private beach, kayaks and paddle boards, bistro and “world famous” “NazBar,” so a refreshing cold beer or tasty boat drink is never out of reach. Experience a beautiful piece of New Hampshire history and know that no matter if it is your first visit or 10th, you will always be treated like family. naswa.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
Lavender Fields of Joy
Owners Missy and Mike Biagiotti of Lavender Fields at Pumpkin Blossom Farm in Warner always knew their farm was a special place, but their experience over the last year solidified that they weren’t the only ones who noticed its magic. “With so much uncertainty and stress caused by COVID, our lavender field provided a place for guests to take a deep breath and find a retreat from day-today stress,” says Missy. “Nature provides its own healing, and we provided a place for people to enjoy it.” Throughout the year, Missy and Mike were able to host a wedding for a couple impacted by the pandemic, offer after-hours visits for immunocompromised guests, host retreats for teachers and mental health counselors, and provide lavender bunches to nursing homes as a way to bring the outdoors inside. Their generosity did not go unnoticed. “Lavender Fields at Pumpkin Blossom Farm and its owners have been a tremendous help to its local community, and really to the entire state during this trying time in our country,” says Tracey Schneider. “Even though they are a new business and struggling to stay afloat, they have opened their farm and hearts to many in need, like hosting healthcare workers at the farm and making special arrangements to pamper cancer patients. They go above and beyond to share their slice of heaven with as many people as possible.” For Missy and Mike, their mission is simple — serve the community. “We are fortunate stewards of this place for solace, and we are happy to share it with others,” says Missy. “We are one family welcoming other families to share in our home, our harvest, and our love of lavender.” pumpkinblossomfarm.com NH nhmagazine.com | July 2021 81
FUN & ADVENTURE
Quintessential Fun for All
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N O N P R O F I T PA R T N E R
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Calendar
PHOTO BY DAVID MURRAY/CLEAR EYE PHOTO
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OUR FAVORITE EVENTS FOR JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2021
7/9-8/15
The Prescott Park Arts Festival This beloved summer arts festival is back, and though things will look and feel a bit different this year, you can
still enjoy a season of world-class entertainment for the whole family. Due to new safety protocols, there will be limited audience sizes and other changes, but you can still expect outstanding performances. This year’s theatrical production on the main stage is “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and keep an eye on the website and social media for concert announcements and more information. Free (donation suggested). Dates, times vary, Prescott Park, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth. (603) 436-2848; prescottpark.org nhmagazine.com | July 2021 89
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live music by Fee and the Evolutionists. Another change this year — tickets are limited (just over 300 are available), so don’t procrastinate. This is an outdoor event, and we’ll be following the CDC guidelines for safe in-person events. Seating at tables will not be limited to single parties. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m., but guests who’d like to take the 45-minute tour will need to arrive at 4:30 p.m. Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Rd., Canterbury; bestofnh.com 8/22
New Hampshire Food Truck Festival at Cisco Brewers Food Truck Festivals of America is returning to Portsmouth for the 7th annual festival, which features some of the area’s most popular food trucks dishing out fan favorites plus craft brews. $5-$45. 12 to 5 p.m., Cisco Brewers Portsmouth, 35 Corporate Dr., Portsmouth. Facebook.
8/12-14
64th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show The best antique dealers from across the
Granite State come together to give you an unforgettable summer show. It’s considered the best show of its kind in New England and, with over 50 exhibitors, it won’t disappoint. The professional antique dealers save merchandise throughout the year and offer a wide range of both country and formal antique furniture and accessories. Look for items like paintings and textiles, Shaker furniture, clocks, lighting and so much more. $10-$15. Thurs-Fri 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester. nhada.org
Fairs & Festivals 7/8-11
Hillsboro Summer Festival Formerly known as the Hillsboro Balloon Fest & Fair, this festival brings visitors from all over New England with the best from Miller Amusements, food trucks and one of the greatest fireworks shows around. There will be a car show, amusement rides, a 5K road race, a parade and more. Free. Times vary, 29 Preston St., Hillsboro. (603) 4640377; hillsborosummerfest.com 7/10
A Brew With a View Sip on local brews while taking in the stunning views of Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam during this classic summer event. Bring your family and friends to the tent at Steele Hill for your chance to sample a variety of local craft breweries and select meads, wines and liquor. There will be great music, door prizes and tasty food. A concert will close out the festivities. $50-$65. 4 to 7 p.m., Steele Hill Resorts, 516 Steele Hill Rd., Sanbornton. (603) 524-0500; abrewwithaview.com 8/5-7
SoulFest Celebrating music, love and action, this annual festival is held at the picturesque Gunstock Mountain Resort. As New England’s largest Christian festival, SoulFest has become a summer staple for people to come and camp, shop and enjoy three days of speakers and music. This summer’s lineup includes performances by Lecrae, Crowder, Cory Asbury, Casting Crowns and many more. Go for an evening of fun or stay the whole weekend to make an adventure out of it — either way, it is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience. $65-$750. Times vary, Gunstock Mountain Resort, 719 Cherry Valley Rd., Gilford. (978) 346-4577; thesoulfest.com
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8/7-15
League of NH Craftmen’s Fair Start clearing out the car — you’ll want plenty of trunk space for this. Artisans and crafters from around the state set up shop at this massive fest, which boasts the title of the oldest continuously running craft fair in the U.S. Come ready to shop or just ready to learn and admire, either in the learn-how-it’s-made workshops scattered throughout the week or in the exhibition building full of curated art shows. There’s also live music, chances to meet artisans one-on-one and other fun events held throughout the week. Mount Sunapee Resort, 1398 Rte. 103, Newbury. (603) 763-3500; nhcrafts.org 8/14
Great New England BBQ and Food Truck Festival This is a great family-fun event that features a corn hole tournament, a kids’ zone with free bounce houses, face painting, slime making, artisans, music, food trucks, eating contests and more. $5-$10. Sat from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., indoor/outdoor at Hampshire Dome, 50 Emerson Rd., Milford. (603) 321-9794; gnecraftartisanshows.com 8/19-21
Market Days Festival Celebrate summer in the capital with this annual free fest. Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, concerts in both Eagle and Bicentennial squares and a beer tent smack dab in the middle of the festival. Free. Main Street, Concord. (603) 226-2150; intownconcord.org 8/21
Best of NH Party Shameless plug alert! For our 20th annual Best of NH celebration, we’re headed to the beautiful and historic grounds of Canterbury Shaker Village. The evening includes tours of the village, cocktails, catered dinner and entertainment from the state’s beloved Yankee humorists Ken Sheldon and Rebecca Rule, plus
Moose Festival Head to Colebrook to celebrate all things moose. This year’s festivities include live music, arts and crafts vendors, and rumor has it that a moose-calling contest is planned. There will also be a dog show, maple syrup tasting contest and the classic car show. Bring the whole family to this old-time fun event that showcases the many diverse talents and services in the North Country. 3 to 8 p.m., Downtown Main Street, Colebrook. (603) 237-8939; chamberofthenorthcountry.com 9/4-6
31st Annual Labor Day Weekend Craft Fair at the Bay Celebrate summer by attending this crafty event. The Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront will come alive with color, flavor and music. Over 75 artisans from around New England will display and sell their handmade arts and crafts. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Alton Bay Community House and Grounds, 24 Mt. Major Hwy., Alton Bay. (603) 332-2616; castleberryfairs.com 9/10-12
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival Close out your summer with the granddaddy of all Granite State food fests. Even though event organizers are working to adapt the festival to increase safety, you can still expect Seacoast restaurants offering up lobster, fried clams and other surf and turf favorites, plus skydiving demos, fireworks, a lobster roll eating contest and more. Prices and times vary, Hampton Beach, Ocean Boulevard. seafoodfestivalnh.com 9/11
Auburn Day & 28th Annual Duck Race Each September, thousands of people gather in beautiful Auburn to enjoy a family-friendly and fun-filled day to benefit the Auburn Historical Association. The cornerstone for this annual event is the famous duck race, which awards cash prizes for the 10 fastest ducks, including $1,000 for first place. Other event highlights include: the Salmon Falls apple pie baking contest, the pretty chicken contest, Duckling Dash 5k road race, plenty of New Hampshire artisans and vendors, music by Peabody’s Coal Train, food and more. Free to attend. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Auburn Village, Hooksett Rd., Auburn. auburnhistorical.org 9/11
Wingzilla/Ribzilla This annual food and fun fest features a chicken wing cook-off and a Hawaiian-themed ATV poker run, among other festivities. If you’re up for a particular brand of torture, sign on for Killazilla, a competition to see who can snarf down the most blazing hot wings. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Service Credit Union Heritage Park, 961 Main St., Berlin. androscogginvalleychamber.com/wingzilla
PHOTO BY JOHN GAUVIN
8/27-28
9/17-19
NH Highland Games & Festival Heading north for this beloved fest, you could almost convince yourself that the mountains on the horizon are the rolling hills of the Scottish Highlands — and once you hear the bagpipes and spot the sea of tartan on the festival grounds, you’ll really start believing it. Though things will be a bit different this year (advanced tickets are required, and no tickets will be sold onsite), you can still expect to enjoy athletic feats of strength and endurance, Celtic music, sheep dog trials and more. Prices vary. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Loon Mountain Ski Resort, 60 Loon Mountain Rd., Lincoln. (603) 229-1975; nhscot.org 9/17-18
Reach the Beach This overnight relay race begins in Bretton Woods and ends at Hampton Beach, where you can celebrate at the finish line party complete with music and the medal ceremony. If you and your team aren’t quite up for the entire 200-mile stretch across New Hampshire, consider the shorter 55-mile Ragnar Sprint Reach the Beach, a one-day, 12-leg race with six runners. runragnar.com 9/24-26
Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival Join dozens of folk and sea music performers as they bring maritime folk music and song to downtown Portsmouth. This festival showcases music from the United States, British Isles and Canada at venues in the Market Square area. Free. Market Square, Portsmouth. pmffest.org 9/26
8/21
7/1-10/17
2021 Historic House Season Strawbery Banke Museum will be offering visitors the chance to explore over 300 years of history, from indigenous history to the present day, in the Puddle Dock neighborhood. Tour historic houses on original foundations, meet costumed role players, watch traditional craft demonstrations and explore heirloom gardens. $19.50-$48. Times vary, Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. (603) 433-1100; strawberybanke.org 7/12
2021 “Swing for Seacoast” Charity Golf Tournament Seacoast Family Promise is an amazing local nonprofit that serves families experiencing homelessness. This golf tournament will have a luncheon, silent auction and opportunity to win a Subaru Outback Onyx edition. $150. Starts at 9 a.m., The Oaks Golf Links, 100 Hide-Away Pl., Somersworth. (603) 658-8448; seacoastfamilypromise.org 7/16-17
Seek the Peak Mount Washington Adventure Expo The nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory invites you to join them in the White Mountains of New Hampshire — or from wherever your favorite outdoor playground is — to raise funds, earn prizes and to be a part of this amazing event. Great Glen Trails will also be at the “base camp” for all activities, from registration to the epic expo taking place on Saturday featuring a vendor village, food trucks, live music and more. Prices and times vary. 1 Mount Washington Auto Rd., Gorham. (603) 466-3988; mt-washington.com 7/17
New England Vintage Boat and Car Auction Boats, vintage boating memorabilia, cars, car memorabilia and more will be available for you to view online or in person at this event. Free. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Nick, 10 Trotting Track Rd., Wolfeboro. (603) 569-4554; nhbm.org
Boot Scootin’ Boogie 5K & Brewfest Run in person or virtually for this fun run. The event starts on Sargent Road, and then heads north onto Mammoth Road before turning onto Otterson Road for an out-and-back loop that ends at the Londonderry athletic fields. When you finish the race, use your beer ticket to redeem your post-race beverage from one of the breweries in the beer garden like Backyard Brewery or Great North Aleworks. $10-$35. 4:30-6 p.m., Londonderry Athletic Field Complex, 98 Sargent Rd., Londonderry. (603) 488-1186; millenniumrunning.com 8/27
Gate City Music Fest This festival is a live concert complete with stadium seating and pod-style lawn seating on the field with an assortment of beer, nonalcoholic beverages and food to enjoy during the show. Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St., Nashua. gatecitybrewfestnh. com 9/5
Labor Day Weekend Fireworks End your Labor Day weekend festivities with fireworks at Hampton Beach. Walk the boardwalk, enjoy some Blink’s fried dough, bring a blanket, and experience the magic of the night sky lit up by a beautiful fireworks display. Free. 9:30 p.m., Hampton Beach, Hampton. hamptonbeach.org
Through Fall Critical Cartography: Larissa Fassler in Manchester Larissa Fassler focuses on the symbiotic relationships between people and places. She is interested in how the architecture of cities affects people both physically and psychologically. After a period of reflection, Fassler created four new monumental drawings that reflect her impressions of Manchester’s downtown through intricate compositions featuring maps, annotations and imagery. Her works explore the use of public spaces, the role of community organizations in supporting the needs of cit-
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20th Annual Lake Sunapee Chowder/Chili Challenge This Sunapee PTA fundraiser used to be a solely chowder-based enterprise, but it added chili in the last couple of years and now splits the competition between both dishes. Taste the offerings from local pros (past contestants include Suna and Peter Christian’s Tavern) and cast your vote — People’s Choice and Kids’ Choice honors are awarded in addition to the judges’ picks. $10. 12 to 3 p.m., 1 Lake Ave., Sunapee. Facebook
Miscellaneous
7/18
Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 If you haven’t taken the plunge to attend a NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, here is your chance.
The weekend features three days of exciting on-track action for one of New England’s biggest parties of the summer. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be taking center stage for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday. The weekend will also feature the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Be there to see Kevin Harvick defend his 2018 Foxwoods 301 victory. Prices and times vary. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 NH-106, Loudon. (603) 783-4931; nhms.com nhmagazine.com | July 2021 91
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9/18
Fall Equinox Fest Celebrate the final days of summer and welcome in the first days of fall with this fun festival. It takes place at Swasey Parkway and features some of the Seacoast’s finest artistic and musical talent, as well as cultural exhibits and local food. There will also be yoga, dance performances, activities for kids and hooping. $10. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Swasey Parkway, Exeter. (603) 512-8396; teamexeter.com
Summer Theater 6/30-7/18
“A Chorus Line” This classic groundbreaking collaboration between Marvin Hamlisch and Michael Bennett is about Broadway dancers auditioning for a spot on “the line.” Winner of nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for drama, the show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the events that have shaped their lives and their decision to go into “the business.” Prices and times vary, Interlakes Theatre, 1 Laker Ln., Meredith. (603) 707-6035; interlakestheatre.com 7/15-31
“Clue the Musical” Join the team at North Country Center for the Arts at Jean’s Playhouse for a very special evening of murder, mystery and slapstick mayhem. Featuring the nostalgia of the original board game, the comedic styling of the 1985 movie, and a different ending every night (selected by the audience), “Clue” is sure to have you laughing in the aisles, scratching your head, and asking “who done it?” Prices and times vary, Jean’s Playhouse, 34 Papermill Dr., Lincoln. (603) 745-2141; jeansplayhouse.com 7/16-18
“Havana Nights” Opera North brings high-flying circus artistry and vocal virtuosity together again under the big top (with open sides). Pulsating Latin rhythms blend with circus acrobatics, juggling and aerial work as Opera North’s resident artists bring sultry, sizzling, sensational favorites from Bizet, Lecuona and Puccini to a joyous crescendo. Once again, the mash-up of song and circus promises to be a fun-filled family outing. Prices and times vary. Blow-Me-Down Farm, Route 12A, Cornish. (603) 448-4141; operanorth.org
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“Cabaret” Life is a cabaret! In Kander and Ebb’s daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining musical, an American author and a cabaret dancer fall in love in the backdrop of 1930’s Berlin as the Nazis rise to power. Tickets and times vary, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. seacoastrep.org
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izens, and the effects of poverty on the physical, mental and emotional health of a community. Currier Museum, 150 Ash St., Manchester. (603) 669-6144; currier.org
8/5-22
“Steel Magnolias” “Steel Magnolias” was a play before it was a movie. After its off-Broadway premiere in 1987, playwright Robert Harling wrote the screenplay for the 1989 film starring Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Daryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts. Harling based “Steel Magnolias” on the life of his sister and their experience growing up in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The play is a comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana. Prices and times vary, M&D at Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse, 2760 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway. (603) 733-5275; mdplayhouse.com 8/11-21
“Far From Canterbury” A reimagined telling of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales,” “Far From Canterbury” takes us to a world where fairy tales are considered current events, and tells the story of a shy young knight who will be sentenced to death, unless in one year, he can answer one simple riddle: “What is it that women desire most?” Prices and times vary, The Barnstormers Theatre, 104 Main St., Tamworth. (603) 323-8500; barnstormerstheatre.org 9/1-18
“It Had To Be You” Set to the music of two of America’s iconic songwriters of the early 20th century, the story tells the tale of the loves and losses of three women from high school graduation in 1916 through the Great War, the roaring twenties and the Depression era. Relive hits from the Great American Songbook set to an
8/24-9/3
“The Addams Family” In the creepy and
kooky world of the Addams family, happy is sad and pain is joy — until daughter Wednesday falls in love. The Addams family’s strong connection is put to the test when Wednesday’s new boyfriend and his parents come to dinner, hurling Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama and Lurch headlong into a fateful night that will change the family forever. America’s darkest family comes to life in this original musical comedy about love, family, honesty and coming of age. Prices and times vary, Weathervane Theatre, 389 Lancaster Rd., Whitefield. (603) 837-9322; weathervanenh.org
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AUGUST 12 - 14, 2021 a n n ua l
New Hampshire Antiques Show Sponsored by the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association
Thurs. & Fri. 10am - 7pm Sat. 10am - 4pm
DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester, NH • 603.625.1000 Social Distancing & Masks Required INFORMATION:
nhada.org
F I F T Y - N I N E O U T S TA N D I N G D E A L E R S I N R O O M S E T T I N G S
“…the best show of its kind in New England…”
MEDIA SPONSORS
– MAINE ANTIQUE DIGEST
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Music 7/18
Chris Smither Honing a synthesis of folk and blues for 50 years, Smither is truly an American original. Reviewers and fans from around the world, including Rolling Stone and The New York Times, agree that Smither continues to be a profound songwriter, a blistering guitarist and intense performer as he draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and humanist philosophers. Oh, and he just so happened to pen the Bonnie Raitt classic “Love Me Like a Man” at the ripe old age of 16. $40. 7 p.m. The Farmstand B&B, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua. (603) 323-6169; thefarmstand.net 7/15-22
Atlantic Grill Music by the Sea Concerts This summerlong concert series brings some of New England’s hottest bands to the Seacoast on Thursday nights. Enjoy great tunes from bands like Jumbo Circus Peanuts or Joshua Tree and the seaside setting while supporting the Center and their ocean education mission. Bring a blanket or chair, pack a picnic or purchase freshly grilled dinner beverages on site. Concertgoers can also enjoy the Center and its exhibits, free with concert admission. $4-$12. 6 to 8:30 p.m., 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye. (603) 436-2235; seacoastsciencecenter.org 7/24
The Van Morrison Experience Drawing from his complete collection of works, “Into the Mystic” seeks to recreate the spirit and energy of Morrison’s music, and it pays respect to the man who’s a hard act to follow in
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2021. Bridging this gap, eight-piece “Into the Mystic,” led by vocalist Justin Panigutti (formerly of Bearquarium), is comprised of some of the area’s finest musicians and portrayers, coming together to produce an evening of Van Morrison’s finest work and promising to be a musical experience not to disappoint. Tickets start at $30. 8 p.m. Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. (603) 225-1111; ccanh.com 8/6-7
Luke Bryan Pull out your cowboy boots and hat because this iconic country singer is coming to the Granite State for a one night of “Play It Again” fun. He will also be joined by Dylan Scott and Caylee Hammack. This is the perfect concert to kick off the summer, so don’t miss out. $88-$251. 7 p.m., Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Ln., Gilford. (603) 293-4700; banknhpavilion.com 8/20-22
24th Annual White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Festival With two decades of festivals and and a bevy of national blues preservation awards under its belt, this boogiefest is not to be missed. This year’s lineup includes Jeremiah Johnson, Eliza Neals and so many more. To really dive into the festival experience, rent a campsite on the Boogie’s sprawling White Mountains grounds. $40$100. Times vary, Sugar Shack Campground, Route 175, Thornton. (603) 726-3867; whitemountainboogie.com 9/1
Melissa Etheridge Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America’s favorite female singer-songwriters for more than two decades. She released “The Medicine Show” in April 2019. For this album, Etheridge reunited with celebrated producer John Shanks and sounds as rousing
as ever, bringing a new level of artistry to her 15th studio recording. “The Medicine Show” deals with universal themes of renewal, reconciliation, reckoning, compassion and, most profoundly, healing. Don’t miss out on a night to hear this iconic performer and songwriter. $55-$400. 7:30 p.m., The Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. (603) 436-2400; themusichall.org 9/11
The Machine performs Pink Floyd The Machine has forged a 30-year reputation for extending the legacy of Pink Floyd, selling out theaters, premier showcase rooms and casinos across North America, Europe and Asia, performing at renowned music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend and Gathering of the Vibes, and sharing the stage with full symphony orchestras, including the Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Charlotte and San Diego Symphonies, as well as the Buffalo Philharmonic. The New York-based quartet performs a diverse mix of The Floyd’s extensive 16-album repertoire, complete with faithful renditions of popular hits as well as obscure gems. With stellar musicianship and passionate delivery, The Machine explores collective improvisation rivaling that of an early 1970s Pink Floyd. Tickets start at $34. 7:30 p.m., The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth. (603) 536-2551; flyingmonkeynh.com 9/16
David Cook David Cook (winner of “American Idol” season seven) certainly knows his way around a good song. He is starting fresh with his new album, “Chromance” that includes songs like “Gimme Heartbreak” with an up-tempo track that throws the listener right in to the record. $35-$40. 8 p.m., The Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry. (603) 437-5100; tupelomusichall.com
PHOTO BY LEW WHITENER
exciting new story. $29-$39. The Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. (603) 279-0333; winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org
Ready for fun in 2021~ HAMPTON BEACHHNH Events Schedule is subject to change. See website for updates.
The Hampton Beach Village District Welcomes You Back this Summer! • Nightly Live Bands and Entertainment • Spectacular Fireworks, Weds. & Holidays • Monday Night Movies on the Beach, July 12 - Aug.t 30 • Country Music Fest, July 6, 7, 8 • 75th Miss Hampton Beach Contest, July 24 & 25 • Hampton Beach Talent Competition, Aug. • Boston Circus Guild Cirque du Hampton, Sept. • Boston Circus Guild Fire Show on Beach, Sept. FREE Events paid for by the Residents of Hampton Beach Village District
The Commissioners hope this will be a safe and enjoyable summer.
SUPER STAR BEACH earns top honors for clean water
5 STAR RATING: Rated in the top 5 beaches in US and in the top 10 values for resorts in America for water quality and safety by the National Resources Defense Council.
Hampton Beach is rated 1 of 4 beaches in water cleanliness of all beaches in U.S.A.! as awarded by The Surfrider Foundation & Sierra Club’s “The Cleanest Beach Award”.
For a FREE Hampton Beach Vacation Guide and to View our Beach Cam, Visit www.hamptonbeach.org or call 1-800-GET-A-TAN.
Bienvenue Hampton
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New Hampshire 10 Miler Run 10 miles. Eat local pizza. Attend after-party. Repeat? This event takes runners on a near-half-marathon run around the perimeter of Massabesic Lake, then rewards them with pizza from Pittsfield-based Russian Crust and free post-race beer. The Millennium schedule includes a half-marathon in October and a full marathon in November, so this tenner can be your warm-up run. $40-$110. 7:30 a.m., Massabesic Lake, 1 Londonderry Tpke., Manchester. (603) 488-1186; millenniumrunning.com 9/18-26
8th Annual Cruise in to the Wright Antique Car, Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show
Put on your poodle skirts, grease up your duck’s tail hairdos, buckle up and cruise in to the Wright Museum for this annual event dedicated to unique varieties of cars and motorcycles. Only the first 75 cars will be allowed into the show this year, so get your car registered soon. Food will also be available to purchase from MacDaddy’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ food truck. $10. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Museum of World War II, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro. wrightmuseum.org
7/25
Hula Hustle 5K & 10K Get out your craziest Hawaiian shirt and grass skirts for this fun Hula Hustle in memory of Bill Kelley. Once you have completed the road race and received your lei at the finish line, you are invited to attend the luau party at the poolside Tiki bar. Don’t forget to participate in the new most outrageous costume contest and be one to win a prize courtesy of Runner’s Alley. Proceeds from this event will benefit New Horizons. $25-$35. 9 a.m., Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester. hulahustle.org
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Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Submit events eight weeks in advance to Emily Heidt at eheidt@nhmagazine.com or enter your own at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Not all events are guaranteed to be published either online or in the print calendar. Event submissions will be reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, approved by a New Hampshire Magazine editor.
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The Prouty If you enjoy outdoor recreation of just about any kind, then you’ll find something to suit you at this fundraiser for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Cyclists can opt for 20- to 100mile rides or the 200-mile, two-day Prouty Ultimate; walkers can traverse anything from a 3K stroll through Hanover to a 10K walk in the woods; rowers can hit the Connecticut River for 5-20 miles; and golfers can enjoy a four-person scramble at the Hanover Country Club. Virtual options are available before the in-person event. Prices, times and locations around Hanover vary. theprouty.org
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est peaks. The Denali Challenge is to hike five of these peaks in one weekend. The ultimate challenge is to hike the five peaks equaling 20,000 feet (Denali is at 20,328 feet) claiming the title “Alive after five.” This year, hikers will be able to choose from a number of different peaks for the five mountains they will climb, like Tecumseh and Dickey. Whether you’re an experienced hiker looking to master all five peaks, or just looking to join the fun, there is something to fit all abilities and ages. Free. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Waterville Valley, 1 Ski Area Rd., Waterville Valley. (888) 608-8568; waterville.com
Fox Point Sunset Road Race Runners who love to race but hate the break-of-dawn start times, this one’s for you. A 5-mile course winding through Newington Village and around Great Bay, this Seacoast Road Race Series event is designed to align with the sunset — no 6 a.m. registration table in sight. Stick around after you’ve crossed the finish line, where a free post-race BBQ will be waiting to replenish those calories you just burned off. $10-$25. 5 to 7 p.m., Newington Old Town Hall, 338 Nimble Hill Rd., Newington. (603) 834-3177; foxpoint5miler.org
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Seacoast Cancer 5K Join more than 2,000 participants for a morning of family fun benefiting cancer care and services at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. The virtual race is from September 18-25 or you can choose to participate in person on September 26. The course starts at the hospital and winds through Dover. Runners and walkers are invited to partake in this event, and there will be pre- and post-race activities like food, entertainment, kids’ activities and more. $10-$35. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, 789 Central Ave., Dover. (603) 740-2687; seacoastcancer5K.org
12th Annual Sunrise Ascent on Mt. Washington Get your hiking shoes and cameras ready, this is an event that you won’t want to miss. Before sunrise, teams ascend the Mt. Washington Auto Road to reach the 6,288-foot summit. Each team includes an adaptive athlete and “mules” who will help an athlete needing assistance or accompany an independent athlete as he or she climbs the 7.6 miles to the summit. This inspirational outing benefits the Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country. Donations accepted. 5 a.m., Auto Road, Gorham. (603) 823-5232; adaptivesportspartners.org 8/13-15
Denali Challenge Within the mountains that surround Waterville Valley exist a number of New England’s high-
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The Androscoggin Valley ATV Invasion This festival is an ATV enthusiast’s dream come true. The event takes place at Jericho Mountain State Park, which has more than 80 miles of trails. There will be mud races, demo rides, obstacle courses, kids’ fun zone, live music, delicious food and more. You won’t want to miss this summer weekend of fun. $20. Times vary, Jericho Gateway Family Campground, 120 W Milan Rd., Berlin. avatvinvasion.com
Discover the White Mountains Attractions
Start your summer of fun in New Hampshire’s White Mountains with these excellent attractions. Climb to the Clouds An outdoor experience of
Glacial Proportions!
2021 Subaru Mt. Washington Hillclimb presented by Yokohama Tire
BEST CAVE IN NH
August 13, 14 & 15 Tickets and information online:
mt-washington.com/climb-to-the-clouds Fun for all generations of adventurers. Come explore our 9 granite boulder caves, head out on the nature trails, feed the ducks & deer, and more! Book Ahead Online PolarCaves.com Located in Rumney, NH. Exit 26 off I-93, just 5 miles from downtown Plymouth.
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GARNISH AND GO
Ready to Drink
Rustic Spirits Margarita
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Playamar Tequila Hard Seltzer
Homemade margarita — just pour. Always fresh. Started over 10 years ago in a basement, today Rustic Spirits Margarita is available in every New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet.
From the No. 1 selling tequila brand comes a refreshing 90-calorie tequila hard seltzer. Now available in four flavors, lime, grapefruit, mango and black cherry.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets.
Available where beer is sold.
750ML • $16.99
355ML 4-pack • $12.99
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Fishers Island Lemonade
Bacardi Island Punch
Fishers Island Lemonade is made of premium vodka, barrel-aged whiskey, lemon and honey. Full-flavor and refreshing, this is the benchmark for any drink that promises you “summer in a can.” 9% ABV
Bacardi Island Punch is made with a BACARDĺ Rum base with all-natural flavors, real ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. Consistently high quality and always refreshing, fun and fruit-flavored and ready-to-serve.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets.
4-pack • $16.99
1.75L • $15.99
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Don’t feel like fully stocking a bar with a selection of spirits, bitters and sodas? Not a problem. Think stress-free and simple, by turning to ready-to-drink cocktails. Just add ice and the garnish of choice. These convenient options allow everyone to enjoy refreshments — even the host.
Jim Beam Ginger Highball Made with real Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon and ginger ale. A bold ginger ale taste is expertly balanced with bourbon and subtle hints of vanilla and oak with a touch of sweetness. Made with all-natural flavors. Available where beer is sold. 4-pack • $9.99
Jose Cuervo Authentic Pink Lemonade
1800 Ultimate Black Cherry Margarita
Our classic Authentic Pink Lemonade Margarita in a single-serve container! Authentic 200ml 4-packs are great for consumers looking for a single-serve option. Also available in lime and strawberry.
The 1800 Ultimate Margarita is the perfect premium ready-to-drink margarita, made with 1800 Silver Tequila. Try our newest flavor, black cherry. Just pour over ice and serve.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. 200ML 4-pack • $9.99
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. 1.75L • $19.99
Decoy Premium Seltzers Created using Decoy’s acclaimed wines, sparkling water and tantalizing fruit flavor, this refined and refreshing wine seltzer is perfect when you want something light and delicious. Crisp and bubbly with strawberry, melon, guava and black cherry. Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. 250ML 4-pack • $12.99
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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GARNISH AND GO
Ready to Drink
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Sazerac: Chi Chi’s
Tanqueray
The perfect balance of tangy lime, handcrafted tequila and triple sec is blended to create the classic taste you expect in a premium margarita. Wherever you sip this refreshing cocktail this summer, you can expect consistent, restaurant quality in every sip.
A shockingly smooth and refreshing twist on gin, in ready-to-enjoy cans that will refresh your taste buds and change your expectations of gin. Available in three zesty flavor profiles: Sevilla Orange Gin & Soda, London Dry Gin & tonic and Rangpur Lime & Soda.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. 1.75L • $9.99 (on sale for $7.99 July/August)
nhmagazine.com | July 2021
Fabrizia Italian Style Lemonade
Collective Arts Rubarb & Hibiscus Gin
Fabrizia’s Italian Lemonade is made with lemons directly imported from Sicily! We add our award-winning Fabrizia Limoncello and vodka to produce an unparalleled lemonade flavor Proudly made in New Hampshire!
The juicy and floral flavors of a rhubarb and hibiscus gin pair perfectly with tart raspberry and bitter orange. Well-balanced and naturally sweet, this cocktail is fruity and refreshing. 5.0% ABV.
Available where beer is sold.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets and where beer is sold.
Available where beer is sold.
4-pack • $14.99
4-pack • $8.99
4-pack • $11.99
Ketel One Botanicals Crafted with vodka from the Nolet Family Distillery and artfully infused with botanicals, natural flavors and sparkling water for an enticingly fresh and rewarding taste experience. Available in Peach & Orange Blossom, Grapefruit & Rose and Cucumber & Mint. Available where beer is sold. 4-pack • $14.99
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Don’t feel like fully stocking a bar with a selection of spirits, bitters and sodas? Not a problem. Think stress-free and simple, by turning to ready-to-drink cocktails. Just add ice and the garnish of choice. These convenient options allow everyone to enjoy refreshments — even the host.
Slrrrp Alcohol-Infused Gelatin Shots
Hornitos® Tequila Seltzer
Twenty shots per pack with five awesome fruit flavors. Crafted with sixtimes distilled premium vodka and plant-based ingredients making our shots vegetarianfriendly (26 proof). Celebrate everything!
Made with real Hornitos Plata Tequila and allnatural flavors, it has zero sugar, is low-carb (3.6g), and has only 112 calories. Available in lime or mango.
Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. $24.99
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Available where beer is sold. 4-pack • $11.99
Tooters, On the Beach A seductive blend of juicy peach and luscious berry combines the best of both worlds in this classic, easy-going cocktail. Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. $9.99
Jose Cuervo Authentic Lime Made from Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila, Jose Cuervo Authentic Margarita is the No. 1 selling ready-todrink margarita. Just pour Authentic Lime Margarita or any one of our various flavors over ice and serve. Available at NH Liquor and Wine Outlets. 1.75L • $16.99
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Understanding Vaccine Development The steps behind the COVID-19 vaccine
BY KAREN A. JAMROG / ILLUSTRATION BY GLORIA DILLANIN
T
he pandemic upended many aspects of daily life, including where we spend our time. Especially with telecommute arrangements likely to remain more common than they were prior to COVID, our home environments matter more than ever. And, while we like to think of home as a safe haven, mold, carbon monoxide, pesticides, insects, secondhand smoke and other factors can endanger health. Here we highlight a handful of common home hazards and offer tips to keep you and your family safe. It should help to know that, before a vaccine can be approved for use, it must
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undergo rigorous studies and testing that are designed to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. Typically, vaccine development starts in a lab, where scientists research and test their ideas. If a concept proves promising, they
eventually move forward with tests in animals to further investigate the safety and effectiveness of their potential vaccine, says Michael J. Gilbert, M.D., M.H.C.D.S., vice president of Medical Affairs and chief medical officer at Catholic Medical Center. Assuming animal tests go well, following a green light from the FDA, clinical trials in humans begin. Clinical trials consist of three or four phases. Phase one is small, with 20 to 100 healthy volunteers who receive the shot. “The first is the small study, a very intensive study that’s really to look at safety and entails a lot of consideration of potentially unexpected reactions,” says Peter F. Wright, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. Researchers keep close tabs on the volunteers after vaccination, “and if everything was progressing well, they would then open the study to a larger group of people,” Wright says. Subsequent phases of the clinical trials involve larger numbers of volunteers and include people who have underlying health conditions. By phase three, the vaccine under study is given to thousands of volunteers. Testing typically includes comparison with a control group, when some of the volunteers receive the vaccine, but others do not. Throughout each phase, researchers continue to gather data on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. A fourth phase occurs post-licensure or post-approval for emergency use and is an ongoing effort to study long-term risks and benefits of the vaccine, as well as occurrences, Wright says, such as the blood clots that have occurred in roughly one in a million people who have received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. “You never can do a clinical trial before licensure that enables you to detect that kind of extraordinarily rare event,” he notes. Vaccines work by priming the immune system, Gilbert says. Some vaccines, such as the flu shot and the Johnson & Johnson
Although the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first mRNA vaccines to be approved, scientists have studied and worked with mRNA for decades.
Don’t throw out those masks just yet Many people wonder why pandemic precautions such as mask-wearing in certain situations remain necessary following vaccination. There are multiple reasons, including the fact that it is not entirely known how long immunity lasts after vaccination, or how effective the vaccines are against new COVID-19 variants. Also, at the time of this writing, experts aren’t sure about whether vaccinated people can spread the virus. “We really don’t know that [the COVID-19 vaccines] are entirely protecting against infection as opposed to protecting against illness,” says Peter F. Wright, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. Scientists will continue to gather data to answer questions that surround COVID-19. But for now, at least, even vaccinated individuals should remain cautious to help protect themselves as well as others. For more information, see the FDA’s “Vaccine Development – 101”: fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber/vaccine-development-101. COVID-19 vaccine, contain a weakened, inactive or partial version of a virus or bacteria, which causes the immune system to react without causing the illness that the vaccine protects against. This controlled approach helps the immune system recognize and learn how to fight the bacteria or virus so that “the next time the virus or the bacteria enters our body,” Gilbert says, “we’re able to mount that immune response much
more quickly and effectively so that we can kill off the invader before it causes significant damage.” The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to achieve the same end result. The mRNA in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines prompts the body to create a spike protein similar to what’s on the surface of the novel coronavirus, which
the immune system then responds to. “The next time we are exposed to something with the spike protein,” Gilbert says, the immune system will quickly come to our defense. Although the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first mRNA vaccines to be approved, scientists have studied and worked with mRNA for decades. Sometimes booster shots are necessary to reprime the immune system or to address virus mutations that occur. At the time of this writing, it’s not known whether COVID-19 booster shots will be necessary, but Gilbert points out that boosters are very common in the vaccine world. “There are a significant number of vaccines that require a booster over the course of someone’s lifetime,” he says. While being vaccinated might not always be something we look forward to, vaccinations can be lifesaving. And we can rest assured that to receive FDA approval, all vaccines must go through the extensive testing steps. The COVID-19 vaccines are no exception, despite the speed with which they were developed due to the pandemic. “None of those [testing] processes,” Gilbert says, “were shortcut or circumvented.” NH
Rosanne Cash at MacDowell Explore the grounds of one of the nation’s most venerable artist residencies — MacDowell. Join 2021 Edward MacDowell Medal recipient Rosanne Cash for a tour during this first-ever televised event on NHPBS. Visit macdowell.org #MacDowellMedal
Photo Credit: Michael Lavine
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Downto-Earth
Snobbery
I
’ve always thought of New Hampshire as a pretty down-to-earth place to live, grow and raise a family. Turns out we’re lousy with Thurstons. A survey by zippia.com recently named New Hampshire the fifth most snobby state in America. It weighed elements such as the presence of Ivy League colleges, people with an arts or humanities degree, and the number of wine bottles consumed per person. Not only did New Hampshire find itself in fifth place over all, the top 10 included Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine. We’re in a cloister of conceit, apparently. I refute this nonsensical conclusion. The boys down at the lab tallied up the number of yachts on Canobie Lake and came up with exactly none yachts. Part of the survey’s reasoning is that New Hampshire consumes a “staggering 36.5 bottles of wine for every man, woman and child each year.” Confession: I do my part, so it might make sense to conduct a little self-examination to see if there’s been an inadvertent slide into pretension.
Why I’m maybe a snob: • My name is William, which could sound rather haughty if it were followed up with “Howell III” or something, but since my middle name is different from my eponymously tagged father and grandfather, I missed out on that grandiose-sounding designation by less than a wafer-thin truffle shaving. • As mentioned, I like to go to wineries. Sure, I’ll roll up in a convertible, but I’m in my 50s and I don’t make the rules. • I went to Walt Disney World and ate charcuterie, which makes me very, very fancy. Things that make me a not snob: • One time I shot a chainsaw with a shotgun in a sandpit in Danville. It was maybe the manliest and least snobby thing I’ve ever done. And probably the dumbest. Also, there was a guy there that day who everyone kept calling “Felon.” Know why? Because he was a felon. Score one for not snobby. • The winery thing, because trust me when I say this, is far from the snobby hobby it sounds like. There’s an Allman Brothers CD jammed in the stereo of that convertible we arrive in, and they are scientifically proven to be the least snobby band ever.
• If I have to go somewhere and I can’t arrive in sneakers and a hoodie, chances are I’m not going. • I did not attend Dartmouth College. This is not a reflection on the institution, it’s just that that was never going to happen. And if it did, I would’ve told you by now (again, I don’t make the rules), and this bullet point would be on that other list. • My definition of charcuterie is a chunk of Velveeta, a Ritz and a pickle. Maybe touting my lack of sophistication isn’t exactly disproving our home state’s conceits, but I’m a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of an empty nip someone chucked out the window when they drove by my house because that’s what we do here, apparently. If New Hampshire was really that snobby, they’d be flinging Simon Pearce snifters out the window instead. We Granite Staters are not the pompous sort. Our patron saint is Adam Sandler — Kamen, bless his relaxed sartorial precedent — and I bet that airbrush T-shirt shop down the beach gets more foot traffic than Brooks Brothers. Sure, there’s an Ivy League school here, but those people tend to move away and create awesome sitcoms or start medical practices to treat dummies who take potshots at chainsaws in sandpits. Now, with that settled, I’m off to propagate my ostentation of bespoke peacock butlers. La de da. NH
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More
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Inside every dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is an opportunity to get back to what we’ve missed. We’re making great progress. But it’s going to take a lot more vaccinated people before we have the chance to be close again. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeve and get vaccinated as soon as you can. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and will save lives. With every appointment, every vial, every dose, we believe there’s hope inside.
Get the facts at: go.d-h.org/vaccine
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital • Cheshire Medical Center • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center • New London Hospital Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH)
