New Hampshire Magazine March-April 2023

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603 Navigator

14 Gambling for Good

The real winners at the Granite State’s licensed casinos are New Hampshire charities. By Lynne Snierson

18 Book Review

Outer Space: 100 Poems

By Rick Broussard

20 Our Town

A visit to historic Freedom

By Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

603 Informer

24 Manchester Is the Chicken Tender Capital of the World Wicked Joyful’s Nick Lavallee guides New Hampshire Magazine through a five-stop chicken tender crawl of the Queen City.

By Caleb Jagoda

30 Blips

“Surviving” Sun and Snow

By Casey McDermott

32 Politics

Granite State Guns

By James Pindell

Illustration by Peter Noonan

34 What Do You Know?

Striking Iron

By Marshall Hudson

603 Living

80 Handmade Home Décor

Adorn your living space with handwrought pieces from Granite State artisans.

By Caleb Jagoda

88 Calendar Winter events

Edited by Caleb Jagoda

92 Health Fitness over Fifty

By Krysten Godfrey Maddocks

94 Seniority Green Burials

By Lynne Snierson

96 Ayuh

Three-Hundred-Some-Odd Years and Countin’

By Rebecca Rule

Illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick

Volume 37, Number 2

ISSN 1532-0219

Adrian Thomas, James Noble and Meghna Misra were each selected as one of this year’s Top Doctors. Read

page 54. Cover photo by Kendal J. Bush, composited by John R. Goodwin.

CUBICLE CONCERTS

The Cubicle Concerts series features Granite State musicians dropping by the New Hampshire Magazine offices, setting up in our tastefully decorated cubicle and doing what they do best. Featuring video recorded and edited by Alex Kumph, and curated by assistant editor Caleb Jagoda, catch the full performances and Q&As on our website, nhmagazine.com.

PREVIOUSLY IN THE CUBE: WaTSon PaRK

Power of the Individual

Check out Cubicle Concerts at cubicleconcerts.com

The fact that Dr. Abdu works in New Hampshire yet does not appear on our Top Docs list might seem like a puzzle, but every such attempt at finding the best (or the worst) of people is subject to inherent biases. That’s why we use polling firm Castle Connolly, which has refined its survey for many years to provide a consistent focus.

The Embibe top 10 list proceeds from an academic perspective. Our annual results serve local readers who seek specialty medical care and also reveal the level of excellence that exists among the cadre of physicians in our hospitals. Neither is a perfect system, but the most powerful way to say something about the groups that we rely upon is to focus on the individuals who make them up.

Empowerment of the individual is in the New Hampshire DNA. From our town meetings (which should be in full swing as this issue appears in homes) that enable any resident to participate in grassroots democracy to our imperilled first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary that allows a candidate without the backing of some powerful group or party to make a campaign pitch to the whole nation, we are all about raising singular voices so they can be heard by many.

As I look back on recent decades of New Hampshire life, it’s the individuals who come to mind, each one like a bookmark in time, able to return thoughts to the most vivid chapters of our shared history.

I was reminded of this at a recent dinner at The Foundry in Manchester, where a poster on the wall celebrated the successful release of the Christa McAuliffe silver dollar. Sales of the collectible coin provide funds to FIRST, the student robotics program of Dean Kamen, head of DEKA Research and Development.

McAuliffe died in the Challenger explosion in 1986 but still serves as a spirit guide for adventurous students and teachers. Kamen made a fortune inventing devices to solve health-related human problems (like his portable dialysis pump) that he parlayed into

the revivification of the Manchester Millyard and also the creation of FIRST, a nonprofit that mixes high school kids and professional engineers “for inspiration and recognition of science and technology.” Kamen, who continues to create mind-blowing inventions and is establishing a world-class biotech center in the ancient brick millyard edifices, has often said he considers FIRST to be his greatest legacy because of the potent effect it can have on each participant.

As I was thinking about this note, I got a press release saying that Gov. Chris Sununu was visiting the Osram Sylvania plant in Hillsborough. It had received a multimillion-dollar investment to help overcome supply-chain challenges that have been dogging the U.S. economy. When I read the release, a less-famous name popped into my mind: Everett Feldblum.

A Democrat who ran a clothing store in conservative Hillsborough, Feldblum rose to considerable influence, both locally and nationally, for his “amateur” work in economic development back in the 20th century. He lured major companies to set up shop in our North Country towns, helped develop Hampshire Plaza in Manchester and secure Sylvania plants for Nashua, Greenland and Hillsborough.

Banker Harold Acres called him a, “storybook character. He wore old spotted clothes. His filing cabinet was his shirt pocket.” Long before the digitization of everything, important clients asking Feldblum for a phone number would appear bemused to watch him produce 3-inch wads of tattered business cards wrapped with rubber bands.

Each of those cards in Feldblum’s tattered wads represented an individual to him, and each individual was a source of power and influence, just waiting to be summoned.

The top doctor in the world, according to the education company Embibe, is a professor of orthopedics and medical director for The Dartmouth Institute. Surgeon Dr. William A. Abdu leads a top 10 list they recently released.

2023 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid

Contributors

Before calling the Monadnock Region home, photographer Kendal J. Bush — who photographed Adrian Thomas, James Noble and Meghna Misra for the cover and opening page of the 2023 Top Doctors list — traveled the world as an editor and videographer for the National Geographic Channel and NBC. She combines years of experience as a photojournalist with her film school education to yield beautiful, creative portraits as well as corporate, wedding and event photography. See more of her work at kendaljbush.com

For

than 30

About | Behind the Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine

Willem Lange” on NH Public Television. Soon, Hudson and Lange were planning a tandem recumbent trek for an episode of that show titled “The Scenic Railriders” (airing Wednesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. on NHPBS).

We’ve been a fan of Lange’s thoughtful, inspired storytelling for a long time (check out his adventure with our writer Chaya Harris in our September 2019 issue), so we were psyched to learn that New Hampshire PBS has created the Willem Lange Endowment Fund, made possible by a generous gift from a friend of New Hampshire PBS. This new permanent fund recognizes Lange’s contributions to public television and environmental and outdoor education by fostering an appreciation for travel, wild places and natural beauty.

Riding the Trail to Television Glory

Marshall Hudson, the peripatetic writer of our popular What Do You Know department (see page 34), really gets around. His pedal-powered rail trip featured in our September 2022 issue caught the eye of the producers of “Windows to the Wild with

The Scenic Railriders show (and 18 other current-season episodes) will be available to NHPBS Passport members at the beginning of March for folks to binge-watch.

The Concord-based Scenic Railriders themselves can be found and contacted on Facebook or through their website: scenicrailriders.com. They are currently taking bookings for their 2023 season that starts in mid-May.

The Explorers, photographer and writer team Joe Klementovich (left) and Jay Atkinson (right), produced this month’s feature story “The Existential Moment.”

Frequent contributor Lynne Snierson wrote this month’s Navigator story “Gambling for Good” about the Granite State’s licensed casinos.

Cade Velleman is a senior at the University of New Hampshire and the creative director of Main Street Magazine. He took the photos for this month’s Informer.

This month’s feature story “Moonlight Murder on Smuttynose Island” was written by Seacoast author J. Dennis Robinson, an expert in NH history and culture.

Casey McDermott, who writes our monthly Blips column, is a senior news editor at NHPR, where she previously served as a reporter, editor and digital producer.

more

years, P.T. Sullivan has been traveling as an international photojournalist and artist. He photographed this month’s Navigator.

Jack Kenny

THURSDAY

APRIL 6, 2023

FUELHerFIRE Auction Gala

6PM TO 9:30PM

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JOIN US FOR A FUN NIGHT OUT!

Held at the newly renovated Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua

Tickets include complimentary beverage, creative appetizers, delectable food stations, and live entertainment

Unique auction items in various price ranges

Online auction begins March 22, followed by Auction

Gala, Silent & Live Auction on April 6th.

PRESENTED BY

For tickets & auction go to www.bit.ly/fuelherfire23

2023 FIVE STAR be named? Who will Find out in a special section inside the October issue.

Wealth Managers

Sorry, Kerry (not Kelly)

I enjoy reading about new dining establishments in your magazine. I was particularly thrilled to read about a local restaurant in Nashua owned and operated by the Gleeson family. From my first visit last summer, I found the atmosphere to be warm and inviting. The decor evokes a memory of Irish ancestors. The drinks were prepared and served promptly. I look forward to a return trip for a special meal.

As your article unfolded there appears to be a inconsistency in the name of the owner, Kerry (not Kelly). Please note and address the correct name in the article.

Thank you for your coverage of New Hampshire businesses.

— Peggy Litz, Bristol

Editor’s note: Thanks for taking note of our renewed emphasis on the cuisine scene. We’ve been enjoying the abundant restaurant revival and renewal going on in our towns and cities and hope to continue sharing the excitement with our readers. We also hope to get names right (sheesh) and offer apologies to Kerry (and you) for the error.

Leaving NH for Mental Health

I am emailing you in regard to the state of mental health in New Hampshire. I have been traversing this road because of my daughter who is 14 years old. I have insurance, and yet I have had the most difficult time finding help for my daughter. I was finally told by a mental health professional that I needed to leave the state and go over the border to get help, which I have done. I want to raise awareness of this issue in order to improve things in this area for our state. Please let me know if you are interested in doing a story on this issue.

— Lisa Colburn, Weare

Editor’s note: We’re very interested in helping readers (and ourselves) to understand what’s going on in this critical and stigma-ridden area of health care so plans are in the works for a related feature in 2023. Our November 2022 issue Seniority department featured a profile of former N.H. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick who now travels extensively on his mission to dispel the stigma and to promote understanding and awareness of mental health. Broderick’s new book, “Backroads and Highways: My Journey to Discovery on Mental Health,” should be required reading.

Getting Ayup to Speed

Funny story, a librarian in [town withheld to prevent unneccessary embarrassment] was introducing me for a storytelling program. He read my bio aloud and said, “She writes the a-y-u-h column for New Hampshire Magazine.” I had to give him some quick instructions about how to say AYUH. Cracked me up. This isn’t the first time I’ve had fun with it. Other introducers have stumbled over how to say it. “Eye-uh,” “ah-yuh,” et ceteruh.

I tell them there are a variety of pronunciations with the emphasis on the first or second syllable, or as a one-syllable word — yuh with only the wisp of an “a” at the start.

It can mean yes, no, maybe, too bad, that’s good, tell me more, I’ve heard enough, you don’t say, really, I know it, I’m puzzled, too bad . . . and so forth, depending on context and tone.

It’s as much punctuation as word.

Some add a barely spoken “p” at the end. I do. Sort of: ayup.

It is the best of words and among the most versatile.

I looked it up in my book “Headin’ for the Rhubarb (a New Hampshire Dictionary, well kinda),” and realized my understanding of ayuh has evolved and become more nuanced since the book came out in 2010. We live, we grow, we learn.

In that book, I write:

AYUH: All-purpose positive (but mildly noncommittal) response

Some of us use it a lot, some not at all, some only when talking to people from away — who find the word, for some reason, entertaining.

The fella from away asks the native: “Do you know how to get to New Boston?”

“Ayuh.”

Note: AYUH can be pronounced many different ways, carrying just as many different meanings. It can express surprise, dismay, anger, affection, disapproval, approval, concern — and that’s just for starters. Use with caution.

AYUP: Combines AYUH and yup; a cheery affirmative

“Heard you won the Megabucks.”

“Ayup.”

— Rebecca Rule, Northwoods

Editor’s note: For those who might not know, Rebecca Rule is one of the foremost promoters and preservationists of New Hampshire’s native humor and dialect. Along with the aforementioned “Headin’ for the Rhubarb” she has written more books than you can point a stick at on topics ranging from town meeting (“Moved and Seconded”) to the fine art of storytelling (“Live Free and Eat Pie!”) and even contributed one horror story (“The Haze”) to the “Live Free or Undead” anthology. Check out her website, rebeccarule.com, for a complete list.

Cubicle Campaign

Editor’s note: Our “Cubicle Concerts” series has resumed in our new offices (see ad, page 8) and despite the minimal set design, at least one sharp-eyed reader noticed this bit of decor — a comical “campaign sign” promoting very non-political comedian Jimmy Dunn.

That reader happened to be Dunn himself ...

...and, for the record, we’re all big Jimmy Dunn fans here at New Hampshire Magazine.

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 250 Commercial St., Suite 4014, Manchester, NH 03101

You can also email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

Last month’s “Spot the Newt” winner is Mary Ann Marino of Fitzwilliam. Jan./Feb. issue newts were on pages 9, 25, 35, 95

NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?

The prize is a gift certificate for $50 to use online at nhmade.com or at the New Hampshire Made Store, 28 Deer St., Portsmouth. New Hampshire Made is our state’s official promoter of products and services created here in the Granite State, and the online store and downtown shop are packed with delightful gifts and specialty foods made with Granite State pride. nhmade.com

By Degrees is NHPR’s climate change reporting project. We tell stories of the challenges and solutions that these intersecting crises are bringing to light - individual stories of resilience and struggle, innovation and compromise, and of big change - by degrees.

603 Navigator

Gambling is not a vice, it is an expression of our humanness. We gamble. Some do it at the gaming table, some do not. You play, you win, you play, you lose. You play. — Jeanette Winterson

Gambling for Good

The real winners at New Hampshire’s licensed casinos are the state’s charities

BY LYNNE SNIERSON / PHOTOGRAPHY BY P.T. SULLIVAN

It was booze, butts and bets that fueled New Hampshire’s economy in the 20th century with the profits from liquor and cigarette sales plus wagering at live horse and dog racing tracks filling the state’s coffers. These days gambling is still an important part of the mix, but the format has changed. Dramatically.

The modern-day way to play is at the 14 different licensed charitable casinos crisscrossing New Hampshire. Their offerings can include table games of chance like blackjack, craps, roulette and poker, or popular variants like Bingo, Lucky 7 machines and historical horse racing machines. Once sports betting was legalized in 2019, the New Hampshire Lottery partnered with national industry leader and fantasy sports promoter DraftKings.

The betting business is booming, and the benefits are far-reaching.

“New Hampshire’s charitable gaming establishments have made and are continuing to make a tremendous positive impact throughout New Hampshire, generating vital revenue for hundreds of nonprofits performing meaningful work in all corners of the state,” says Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, the regulatory agency for gaming.

This is nowhere more evident than at The Brook in Seabrook, which has undergone a rebranding and total transformation from an outdated, rundown and shabby former greyhound racing track into a glamourous, glitzy showplace since it was purchased in 2019 by Eureka Casino Resort of Nevada.

But while it isn’t exactly New Hampshire’s own Vegas, it takes a similar approach to enticing guests. (In fact, #LiveFreeAndPlay is The Brook’s hashtag.)

“We wanted it to be fun. The place to play,” says Eureka President and CEO Andre Carrier. “This is New Hampshire’s night out. You want the energy that you get in Las Vegas when you’re out to have fun with friends, but you don’t want it to look like Las Vegas. You want it to look like New Hampshire. How do you make it authentic to New Hampshire and have the energy of Las Vegas? That’s The Brook.”

The 75-acre property debuted as Yankee Greyhound Park in 1973 and held live dog racing until the sport was outlawed by state lawmakers in 2009. When Eureka bought and developed the site it provided a New Hampshire homecoming for Carrier, who is a Jackson native and owns homes in the Mount Washington Valley and on the Seacoast, and for his partner and chairman of Eureka, Greg Lee, who is a graduate of St. Paul’s School in Concord.

Eureka’s business model includes placing a high value on its employees, who own the Nevada and New Hampshire casinos through their employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

“We are the only 100-percent employee-owned resort casino company in the country,” says Carrier, who has been an industry executive since 1996 and worked for billionaires Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta and other casino titans.

The Brook is also the only place in the state where gamblers have the full menu of

Historic horse racing machines are the largest contributor to The Brook’s handle, followed by games of chance, pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog racing, and sports betting.

legalized betting options. There are multiple games of chance, 18 poker tables and 505 historical horse racing machines — akin to slot machines. Also, under state law, only former licensees of live horse and dog racing tracks can host off-track wagering, so the facility’s state-of-the-art “race book” with large screens simulcasting races from across North America is unique.

Moreover, as of press time, The Brook is one of only three locations in the state where sports fans can place a legal bet on their favorite teams. The DraftKings Sports Book at Filitimo in Manchester and its sister location, the Filitimo Casino and Restaurant in Dover, are the others, though seven other retail and a few mobile sports betting licenses remain.

“What’s so powerful about The Brook is this is now the largest charity casino in America,” says Carrier, who then repeats himself for emphasis, “We are the largest charity casino in America, and it is 100percent employee owned.”

New Hampshire has allowed charity casino gaming since it passed the 2006 expanded gambling law. “For ‘games of chance,’ the charity receives 35 percent of gross gaming revenue (the amount wagered minus winnings paid to players) by law,” McIntyre explains. “With games of chance, the New Hampshire Lottery receives 10 percent of gross gaming revenue to support education.” Alternatively, licensed charities may receive revenue through historic horse racing where the charitable gaming establishments receive 75% of gross gaming revenue, licensed charities receive 8.75% of gross gaming revenue

and the state receives 16.25%.

“The state’s 14 charitable gaming spots generated more than $17.7 million for New Hampshire nonprofits in fiscal year 2022,” says McIntyre, with The Brook raising more than $2.5 million of that sum.

By the end of 2022 the number of nonprofits on The Brook’s roster of beneficiaries had grown to 104. The company says its calendar year donations totaled $4 million, and since the acquisition, have exceeded $8 million — big money that hard-working charities could never raise through bake sales and car washes.

“Let’s be clear,” says Carrier. “This is New Hampshire, so that giving is essential. In a

non-income-tax state, the ability to fund social programming is sometimes not as deep as it is in other states. So the role of philanthropy becomes more important and more pronounced.” He adds that, due to the employee ownership of The Brook, the organization generates durable benefits to staff. “We’re providing essential, meaningful contributions to charities, and then with the remainder of the money after expense that exists, we are growing the long-term retirement benefits of the men and women who work here. That’s a pretty effective flywheel,” he says.

A New Hampshire charity that gets approved as a beneficiary may have up to 10 designated days to receive the money raised. The Brook allows each nonprofit one week, and currently helps two of them at a time. “That puts a lot of possibilities out into the universe every week,” Carrier says, and the community benefits create an upward spiral of positivity.

“The Brook has extended the bar much higher than any of the other charitable gaming locations in the Seacoast area, because of their involvement and the customer participation that draws a lot more money coming in for charitable gaming,” says John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. “Organizations that were used to getting $15,000 as their donation are now getting anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000.” In January, the Hampton Area Chamber honored The Brook as its Business of the Year.

Nyhan cites the Hampton Rotary Club as an example of how this extends to benefit the community. “Last year, the Rotary got a check for about $47,000. What that means

Gamblers in the Race Book and the Sports Book follow all the action on the wall of large screen TVs.

Andre Carrier, president and CEO of Eureka Casino Company which owns The Brook, says the company is invested in New Hampshire for the long haul.

is that $47,000 goes from The Brook to the Rotary and then from the Rotary to the local food bank, soup kitchens and many others. That amount of money is very helpful in this community. They have created a number of jobs and done an awful lot in the area of economic development in Seabrook and on the Seacoast,” Nyhan adds.

Carrier terms the renovation of the old dog track, undertaken immediately after the 2019 property purchase, “extreme makeover, casino edition.” But now Eureka is tearing up that original remodel and making this gaming and entertainment center even bigger. New renovations include the Seasons Show Room featuring headline acts, the sports book, the race book, two bars, the Grand Ballroom, catering kitchens, the poker room, four different historic horse racing areas on the casino floor, the table games area and the spacious outdoor deck.

“We’ve invested tens of millions of dollars, and this building isn’t done. By this spring we’ll have our first three-meal, traditional sitdown restaurant with New England comfort foods — and what I would call an element of culinary adventure every day. We have Victory Kitchen, which is the largest sports bar in New England by far,” says Carrier, proudly, also supplying this tidbit of anticipation: “We’ll add another restaurant next fall with a local partner that I think everyone will get excited about.”

In January 2023 the total “handle,” or amount of money wagered on sports betting

in New Hampshire, surpassed the $1 billion mark, and more than 23 million sports bets were placed in-state during the two years since the December 30, 2019, sports betting launch, according to the New Hampshire State Lottery. Carrier says that Massachusetts residents make up 60% of his customers on the weekdays and 70% of them on weekends. Maine residents also contribute substantially to the overall take.

Now serious competition is appearing over both borders.

In 2022 Maine’s sports betting bill became law and Massachusetts authorized 15 license holders — 10 at physical locations and five online — with the first of the sports books intending to become operational as of January 31, well in time for the 2023 Super Bowl in February. Mobile wagering via cellphone or tablet should be available in Massachusetts by the time the magazine appears on newsstands. One Bay State licensee is Carrier’s former employer Wynn Resorts, which is in the process of a $15 million expansion for its sports book at the Encore Boston destination resort casino.

“Bringing mobile betting into Massachusetts is going to change things substantially for New Hampshire. It was great to be out ahead,” he says, adding they have a simple plan to respond to market forces as they play out. “You build a better mousetrap. That’s our goal. Quality matters. Experience matters. Service matters. You have to do all these things well.”

“We’re invested in New Hampshire and we’re here for the long haul,” says Carrier. “The good thing about being part of a 100-year-old family business (Eureka) is that you only think about the long haul. When you are investing for people’s long-term retirement benefits, you only think about the long haul. We came here because we expect to be able to create value for our employee owners, but also for our Seacoast, our state and our charity partners for a long time.” NH

Getting There

Gambling fans are in luck with The Brook and so many N.H. places to play. Here’s a guide: Aces and Eights Casino

Hampton • (603) 560-7676

Games of chance

Boston Billiards Club and Casino

Nashua • (603) 943-5630

Games of chance • Historical Horse Racing

Chaser’s Poker Room

Salem • (603) 912-4604

Games of Chance

Concord Casino

Concord 03301 • (603) 213-1024

Games of Chance • Lucky 7

Dover Poker & Gaming

Dover • (603) 516-1605

Games of chance • Bingo • Lucky 7

DraftKings Sports Book

Filitimo Casino

Manchester • (603) 668-6591

Games of chance • Bingo • Lucky 7

DraftKings Sports Book

Lakes Region Casino

Belmont • (603) 267-7778

Games of chance

Lebanon Poker Room

Lebanon • (603) 678-5906

Games of chance

Northwoods Casino

Berlin • (603) 723-9550

Games of chance • Lucky 7

Ocean Gaming at Hampton Beach

Hampton • (603) 601-6690

Games of chance • Historical Horse Racing

The Brook

Seabrook • (603) 474-3065

Games of chance • Historical Horse Racing

Simulcasting Thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound racing • DraftKings Sports Book

The Lucky Moose Casino & Tavern

Nashua • (603) 881-9060

Games of chance • Historical Horse Racing

The River Casino & Sports Bar

Nashua • (603) 881-9060

Games of chance

Wonder Casino

Keene • (800) 501-4143

Games of chance • Bingo • Lucky 7

Players hope to get lucky on The Brook’s popular 500 Historic Horse Racing machines, which are a derivative of a slots machine.

100 Odes to Infinity

BY RICK BROUSSARD

Poetry is well known as a literary key to the intricacies of the human heart and the beauty of the natural world. In “Outer Space: 100 Poems,” a new volume curated and edited by Midge Goldberg, the power of poetry is used to scan the heavenly firmament and finds that it reflects those same intricate beauties back to the careful observer.

Goldberg, who has been writing and publishing poetry since the turn of the century, has published three poetry collections including “Snowman’s Code,” featuring a Maxfield Parrish painting from the Currier Museum as its cover art, that won the Richard Wilbur Poetry Award in 2015. Along the way, one of her poems was published in the “100 Poems” series of the Cambridge University

Press. This connection eventually led her to suggest they broaden the focus on illuminating specific poets, or eras of poetry, and tackle something as big as a view of the star-filled cosmos on a clear night.

“People will often say my poetry is accessible,” says Goldberg, “which is either very good or very bad.” She says it was that poetic instinct that led her to propose such a commonly shared fascination as outer space for a theme for 100 poems by 100 poets. “I like poetry and all the metaphor it contains, but like it to start somewhere real,” she says. With the 50th anniversary of the moon launch in 2019, plus the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and all the private space efforts under way, she says, “There are a lot more people paying attention to space.”

And for those who have been paying attention to space for a long time, the book provides some gratifying recognition of the pleasures of star-gazing. When Goldberg discovered a poem on the first woman in space, written by Dr. Alice Gorman — an internationally recognized leader in the field of space archeology — she knew she had to use it. “When I contacted her to have her poem appear in the book, she said it was the most

exciting thing that had happened to her. I said, ‘Alice — you have an asteroid named after you.’”

Along with Goldberg, herself a Granite State resident with an MFA from the University of New Hampshire, there are numerous local connections contained in “Outer Space,” including a poem by Robert Frost (“The Star-Splitter”) and one by Goldberg’s poet husband, Robert W. Crawford (“Olber’s Paradox). Crawford also happens to be director of Frost Farm Poetry. The book’s finale is a short poem written for NASA by Charles Simic, former U.S. Poet Laureate and a winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry who lived in Dover, N.H., until his death on January 10, this year.

With poems dating back to the Psalms and the Iliad, all chronologically presented, most of the poets who appear in the pages of “Outer Space” have returned to the stardust from whence we all came. With permission, we include Simic’s poem (above) as a tribute and as a bridge to that infinite anthology of our hopes, dreams and aspirations that can only be written in the heavens. NH

April is Poetry Month. For information on readings and events, visit midgegoldberg.com.

INCLUDED BY NASA IN A JULY 2021 MISSION TO JUPITER

“I’m writing to you from a world you’ll have a hard time imagining, to a world I can’t picture no matter how hard I try. Do you still have birds that wake you up in the morning with their singing and lovers who gaze at the stars trying to read in them the fate of their love? If you do, we’ll recognize one another.”

—Charles Simic

PHOTO COURTESY NASA, FROM THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Freedom Rings Here

A historic visit to a quaint New Hampshire village

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY STILLMAN ROGERS

Route 153 divides the Carroll County town of Freedom geographically in two, but the divide is just as apparent in the character of the two sections. The year-round town center of historic buildings populates the east, while the west contains the summer playground of Ossipee Lake and its many meandering bays.

Historic buildings make up the cozy core of the village, seven of which are listed on the New Hampshire Register. The oldest is the Masonic Hall, built in 1830, before Freedom was a town.

As a new wave of the Great Awakening spread a Protestant revival across New England, differences with the church in Effingham prompted followers of Free Will Baptist, Calvinistic Baptist and Universalist doctrines to join in forming a new church. In 1830, they engaged Amos Towle Jr. to build a church on a hilltop in what was then known as North Effingham.

A year later, residents of North Effingham voted to become a separate town and in

1832 voted to change the name to Freedom, likely referring to their freedom from Effingham.

In 1850, Elias Towle, brother of Amos, furnished the bell of a newly added church steeple. In 1867, Elias changed church affiliations to join the New First Christian Church built on Elm Street. Elias had the bell moved to the steeple of his new church, where, despite three subsequent court cases over its ownership, it remains today.

The old church’s congregation diminished, and the building became a place for community gatherings. In 1926, the building became the Masonic Hall — still used for community events to this day, including the ice cream social during Old Home Week.

Behind the hall, along with the Towle Family cemetery, you can see the stone remains of the baptismal pool used when the building was a church. Beside and slightly behind the Masonic Hall stands a shed housing the town’s snow roller, a huge

wooden-slat drum pulled along roadways to pack the snow. Before snowplows, snow rollers kept roads open through harsh winters. Although a number of towns still utilize snow rollers, Freedom is one of only three in the state that still has its roller shed.

The Freedom Village Bandstand, built a year after the roller shed in 1902, also holds a place on the New Hampshire Historic Register, along with the 1895 former grammar school next to the Masonic Hall.

On nearby Elm Street stands the Greek Revival First Christian Church, built in 1867 and financed by the sale of pews at $50 each. The lawsuit over the ownership of its bell went all the way to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The stately Town Hall next to the church, also in Greek Revival style, was built in 1889.

Preceding both of these buildings, the Freedom Village Store opened in a handsome Second Empire building with a mansard roof and bay windows across the street. Run largely by volunteers and a part-time manager, the Freedom Village Store sells products from local farms and artisans, hosts community events and classes and operates as a coffee shop and gathering place.

Freedom was still a busy rural village when the store

Featuring local artisanal gifts and food items, as well as sponsoring special events, Freedom Village Store serves as an integral partner in this unique village.

first opened, with a grist mill, blacksmith and tinsmith shops, a feedstore and other services to supply local farms and families. Route 25 passed through the center of Freedom until 1939, when it was moved south; the bypass allowed the town to retain its original character and appearance. Opposite the store and beside the church, Freedom Gallery shows paintings by owner Barbara McEvoy and other artists in rotating exhibitions.

Stop by the Freedom Historical Society, opposite the Bandstand, for a glimpse of life in the mid-19th century. Rooms in the house are furnished in high Victorian style, featuring an Estey parlor organ, a dollhouse, period needlework and costumes and a fully outfitted kitchen. A barn and shed house farm equipment, a surrey carriage, sleds and tools for former rural arts such as ice harvesting.

Just down the street, Freedom House Antiques features two floors of an 1860s barn filled with reminders of the past in furniture and home decor. The go-to place to add to your carnival glass or White Mountain souvenir collection, or maybe

Freedom House Antiques is chock full of vintage collectibles, including kitchenware, books, ephemera and toys.

PHOTO COURTESY FREEDOM HOUSE ANTIQUES

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things for children.

You don’t need to be an expert to speak up for a child who experienced abuse or neglect.

If you have the heart to help, we’ll teach you the rest. Join us.

complete your 1930s kitchen decor theme, the shop arranges its medley of vintage collectibles in themed displays

The portion of Freedom east of Route 153 borders the irregular shoreline of Ossipee Lake and Broad Bay, and includes the Danforth Ponds and Shaw Pond. Camp Huckins, Camp Robin Hood and Camp Cody all offer traditional summer camps for kids, while Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort

is a combination campground and summer camp for families. Spacious campsites accommodate tents or RVs, and the park provides kayaks and other equipment to enliven its sand beach along with a schedule of outdoor activities, music and food truck parties. The company’s sister property, The Bluffs, serves adults ages 50 and older.

Goodhue Boat Company, at the northern end of Broad Bay, rents pontoon and fishing boats, runabouts, tubes, water skis and wakeboards, and offers lessons in watersports.

Each summer at the end of July and beginning of August, Freedom’s two worlds mix at one of the state’s few remaining Old Home Weeks. In 1899, Gov. Frank Rollins worried that small towns were declining. As a means of inviting back former residents, attracting newcomers to sample village life and celebrating all that he loved about Freedom, Rollins invented Old Home Week, the first of its kind in the country.

Freedom is one of only five Granite State towns still celebrating Old Home Week (running July 28 to August 6 in 2023).

Freedom’s 124th Old Home Week plans to include all the traditional events: an ice cream social, craft show, lobster feast, lawn party, multitude of sports competitions and parade — the biggest spectacle of the week. Each year’s parade features classic

and antique cars, pipe and drum corps, a marching band, jugglers and floats from the area summer camps. Gov. Rollins would be proud. NH

Find It

Freedom Village Store • (603) 539-3077

freedomvillagestore.org

Freedom Gallery • (610) 762-2493

facebook.com/freedomgallerynh

Freedom Historical Society

freedomhistoricalsociety.org

Freedom House Antiques • (603) 539-4815

freedomhouseantiques.com

Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort

(603) 539-2069 • danforthbay.com

Goodhue Boat Company • (603) 539-8456

goodhueboat.com

Freedom Old Home Week

freedomoldhomeweek.net

Freedom’s stately Town Hall, built in the Greek Revival style, was first erected in 1889.

The First Christian Church dates back to 1867.

The remains of a snow roller, a wooden-slat drum, that was pulled along roadways to pack the snow.

We will bring you back to when life was simple. Since 1786 our quaint little red cottage has graced the hills of southern New Hampshire, seemingly untouched by time. The enchanting cottage was chosen by Elizabeth Orton Jones as the model for her illustrations in Little Red Riding Hood (Little Golden Books, 1948.) Today it is a mecca for gardeners, foodies, and anyone looking for inspiration and relaxation. Have a Pickity day!

603 Informer

“Space, it says, is big.

— Douglas Adams

“I went before the mayor and the aldermen, and I’m on a quest to declare Manchester the Chicken Tender Capital of the World, because it is.”

— Nick Lavallee

Love Me Tenders

Wicked Joyful’s Nick Lavallee guides New Hampshire Magazine through a five-stop chicken tender crawl of the Queen City

BY CALEB JAGODA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CADE VELLEMAN

It’s 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon in late December. Nick Lavallee is reiterating his initiative’s oral manifesto for the fifth time today, presently at a small Goffstown eatery named Charlie’s. As part of that initiative, Lavallee dedicated the day to leading photographer Cade Velleman and me on a chicken tender crawl across the Queen City, hitting five essential establishments that make Manchester “The Chicken Tender Capital of the World,” as he’s coined it. Charlie’s is our fifth and final stop.

“I’m all about celebrating tenders citywide,” Lavallee says to the young woman working the register at Charlie’s. “No one disputes the fact that Manchester is the chicken tender capital of the world, because we all know the originator was the Puritan Backroom Restaurant in 1974.”

“Nope, not the originator,” quips an older gentleman seated alone at a table behind us. “They coined the phrase ‘tenders.’ Way before that, there were chicken nuggets.”

Maybe so. But as Helen Rosner writes in her ode “On Chicken Tenders” for the online magazine Guernica, “Unlike nuggets, which are largely made from processed, re-formed scraps, the chicken tender takes its name from an actual piece of the chicken: the pectoralis minor, a muscle located under the breast, against the sternum.” So there’s an anatomical difference between the tender and its many kindred counterparts (fingers, strips, nuggets, etc.). Still, the older gentleman’s rash interjection did, in fact,

contain some validity — validity that actually furthers Lavallee’s mission. The nugget may predate the tender (and, according to Wikipedia, it does), but Manchester’s own Puritan Backroom Restaurant did create the chicken tender in 1974. This fact is central to (but not wholly responsible for) Lavallee’s North Star. “I don’t necessarily think there is a best [chicken tender restaurant in Manchester],” Lavallee says. “You aren’t truly from Manchester unless you have a strong opinion about chicken tenders. And I feel like now’s the time. Now’s the time for Manchester to declare [itself] the chicken tender capital of the world. I see it, man, I see it. I see people being psyched about it.”

Lavallee’s having something of a moment — and for the 43-year-old former stand-up comedian who’s journeyed an impassioned, atypical path, that’s saying something. At the time of our late-December crawl, Lavallee had just received a merchandise order from Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, made an appearance on Boston’s WBZ 1030 News Radio with Matt Shearer (aka @MattWBZ, a social media sensation known for his 90-second video clips covering New England eccentricities) and hosted a succession of pop-up shops that each quintupled his sales goals. All the hoopla comes courtesy of his art-toy-and-apparel brand Wicked Joyful, which released a shirt in early December starring an anthropomorphic chicken tender dunking itself in duck sauce under

The “Manchester chicken tender” (seen here) is a style of tender created by Charlie Pappas, the father of the Puritan Backroom Restaurant’s current owner, Arthur Pappas, in 1974.

the catchphrase “Chicken Tender Capital of the World: Manchester, New Hampshire, Since 1974.” The shirt — featuring illustration work by graphic designer Don Leon Schuuring of Dedonleon Design Studio — is the main avatar of the initiative, which is why Lavallee had us don the shirts during our citywide tender crawl.

This elicited one of three reactions

when encountering passersby: recognition (more often than I expected), inquisition (relatively frequently) and unaware-butjoyous smirking (repeatedly). One couple at the Puritan Backroom Restaurant (our first stop) even queried, upon seeing our shirts, “Isn’t the guy who started this a comedian or something?” Which is where things get complicated.

“Stand-up for me was always like a glorified hobby,” Lavallee says, “but I did some really great things. I saw friends experience the highest of highs, and I’ve seen the lowest of lows.” Lavallee began his stand-up comedy career in his early 30s, hitting Manchester open mics and figuring into the local scene. Over time, he would co-host a weekly comedy night at Manchester’s Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant and even “get passed” by fabled comedy club Laugh Factory in 2012. He opened for Andrew Dice Clay and Bo Burnham; he brought Dan Soder, Sam Jay and the late Brody Stevens to Manchester, letting them crash on his couch after performances; he relinquished countless nights and weekends to the craft. And despite all this weighty momentum, Lavallee realized he didn’t wholly enjoy the person it made him.

“I look back and I’m like, ‘Was I really doing stand-up to do it, or was it the pursuit of ego? Was I trying to do something with that chip on my shoulder?’” he says. “I was just burnt out on using self-deprecating humor as a crutch. It’s not good. I said these terrible things about myself that may or may not be true to elicit laughter, saying things like, ‘My dick looks like a gummy bear on a hacky sack.’ And it doesn’t. It’s nice. It’s like, what the hell? I was doing it, for what? You say something long enough, you start believing it.”

Lavallee made the decision to realign his priorities and pour his relentless enthusiam into other pursuits. Quitting alcohol seven

Lavallee and Assistant Editor Caleb Jagoda talk shop with Arthur Pappas at the Puritan Backroom Restaurant.

Lavallee and Jagoda chat post-tenders while sitting in a booth at the Puritan Backroom Restaurant. Lavallee claims to have frequented the Backroom “a couple hundred times” for dine-in eating. Memorable trips include Robin Green’s bat mitzvah in seventh grade (his first), and his grandparents’ possibly-50th wedding anniversary.

years ago, losing 50 pounds and withdrawing from the stand-up scene in 2020, he harnessed his fervor into “living completely authentic to myself,” as he puts it. Wicked Joyful was a natural extension of that. “Once you drop the pursuit of ego, you can actually have these creative endeavors and just enjoy them,” he says. “You gotta live authentically. If there’s anything about myself that I’m

telling through this chicken tender initiative, it’s that I’m on a personal quest to live more authentically, and I would encourage anyone else to do the same. Especially if part of your authenticity is bringing other people up and focusing on the positive — then yeah, 100 percent, be yourself. No matter how silly or absurd that version of self may be.”

Is standing at the counter of the fifth

restaurant you’ve been to that day and explaining your quest to crown Manchester the chicken tender capital of the world a little bit silly and absurd? Absolutely. But it also springs from a real drive to unite the city, generate community and highlight the positive — something Lavallee harps on time and time again. As a coordinator in community media by day (a field he’s worked in his entire professional career), it’s one of the biggest forces propelling his life. And as he sees it, the chicken tender initiative aligns his full-time goals with the

humor and fun of his passion projects. I see Lavallee’s ambitions play out in real time during our day together: In every restaurant we drop in and nearly every street we walk down, Lavallee recognizes an old or current friend, engendering an in-depth, intimate conversation. He’s a known Manchester figure — a Central High School graduate who only moved away once for a year-long stint in Boston, decades ago — who thrives on community engagement.

“I know I’ll have made it when my name is on the counter here,” Lavallee says during our third stop of the day, the acclaimed Red Arrow Diner on Lowell Street. Little placards on the bar-top commemorate celebrities who’ve passed through the establishment, including Adam Sandler, Paul Newman and Rudy Giuliani. The Red Arrow is a 101-year-old, grizzled Manchester mecca known for its 24-hour service. As it turns out, they also sling delicious chicken tenders. Our waitress — a wry 40-something named Robin — tells us that tenders have been used for far more than food at the Arrow. One night following a murder inside the diner, the police utilized a chicken tender as a doorstop during an

“Once you drop the pursuit of ego, you can actually have these creative endeavors and just enjoy them. You gotta live authentically. If there’s anything about myself that I’m telling through this chicken tender initiative, it’s that I’m on a personal quest to live more authentically.”

Robin Deary, a waitress at Manchester’s Red Arrow Diner, bonds with Lavallee over the DIY concerts they attended while growing up in Manchester. Side-note: Red Arrow makes a delicious house-made honey mustard.

Lavallee and Richard “Rich” Webber, co-owner of Goldenrod Restaurant Drive-In, pose for a photo.

hours-long investigation. Fortunately, the fried-fowl here have a flexible yet durable structural integrity. Chowing down, we all concur: Red Arrow’s take on the tender is what Lavallee calls a “dry tendy” opposed to a “damp” one, more akin to a classic tender than what’s become known as “Manchester-style.”

The “Manchester chicken tender” is a style of tender created by Charlie Pappas, the father of the Puritan Backroom Restaurant’s current owner, president and treasurer Arthur Pappas, in 1974. It’s been carried on with honor and reverence at the Goldenrod Restaurant Drive-In (our second stop) by former Backroom employees and current Goldenrod co-owners Richard “Rich” Webber and Steve “Smitty” Smith. It’s not heavily battered or breaded and “somewhere between a crunch and a crisp, but more of a crunch than a crisp,” as Lavallee says. It’s marinated in pineapple juice and sugar and a slew of other clandestine ingredients. It must be eaten dipped in duck sauce. Both Puritan Backroom and Goldenrod’s duck sauces derive from the same base (sourced from an Asian food establishment) but receive different supplemental ingredients. Backroom serves a thinner condiment than Goldenrod; the latter amalgamates apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and apple sauce into the base. Many — nay, umpteen other Manchester eateries offer impeccable chicken tenders (the very fact that gives Lavallee’s initiative credibility) and many incorporate a pineapple-juice marinade

or a house-made duck sauce to inventive, delicious ends. But only two establishments serve a true Manchester-style chicken tender: Puritan Backroom Restaurant and Goldenrod Restaurant Drive-In.

I learn this firsthand during our first two stops. The Backroom is a tried-and-true Manchester staple with enough lore to merit its own PBS documentary. Virtually every southern New Hampshire native knows the Backroom like the back of their hand, with an astounding number of birthday parties, anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvahs and myriad celebrations consistently hosted there. The Backroom’s excellence (and massive sprawl of booths and tables) is well documented and frequently championed.

Meanwhile Goldenrod, another beloved Granite State establishment, holds the crown as the go-to summer spot, with an array of order windows facing the street pumping out fast-food trays bearing paper plates and heaping servings. While each establishment implements their own subtle tweaks to the recipe, both are undoubtedly Manchester chicken tenders — juicy, quite literally tender cuts of meat with delicate breading and a palpable pineapple sweetness. Dipped in the duck sauce’s light effervescence — a wispy, sweet, tangy condiment mantilla — the tender conjures a mouthful of culinary magic, the meeting of two destined but unforeseen lovers at the perfect time and place.

The “Manchester chicken tender” forever stands as the original — the time-tested recipe inspiring all others. This isn’t to say it’s inherently better — Lavallee reiterates this throughout the day — but it’s the OG, the godfather. No others exist without it.

During our fourth stop, at the Shaskeen, I decide that I might even prefer the Elm Street pub’s take on the tender: dipped in a Magners Irish Cider and Guinness combination, breaded with flavorful seasonings and flash-fried. And at our final locale Charlie’s, the owner, Costa “Charlie” Troupakis, tells us their tenders were voted WMUR Manchester’s “Viewer’s Choice Best Chicken Tender” four times. Not all tenders are created equal — but in Manchester, they’re all created exceptionally.

After waddling out of Charlie’s, having completed the tender crawl over the course of a five-hour lunch, I’m forced to reconcile the chicken tender’s larger reputation with its reality here in Manchester. This isn’t a simple kid’s menu meal; this isn’t a fast-food junk dish that begrudgingly travels down

Got a favorite chicken tender spot Hampshire? Disagree with our five must-visit Manchester tendy eateries? Want to send in photos from your own chicken tender crawl? Email cjagoda@nhmagazine.com, or message @nhmagazine on Instagram, to voice your opinion. The crawl is for all!

your esophagus and holds your bowels hostage for a night of porcelain firecrackers; and this isn’t, above all else, a joke. Yes, it’s silly, and maybe even a little bit absurd. But these tenders are serious — and Lavallee, spearheading Wicked Joyful, is serious. His ambition is steadfast: He will uplift the Manchester chicken tender, and the Manchester chicken tender will uplift his city and community.

Lavallee believes it’s time to celebrate the city, to spark positivity and attract tourism and give the city a nationally known reputation. He doesn’t want the initiative to be about him, or any individual for that matter. Lavallee simply hopes for Manchester residents to be proud of their stomping grounds and to spread joy wherever and whenever they can. And the perfect vessel to do so? Well, it ought to be dunked in duck sauce, devoured with a smile and created right here in the Queen City.

“I’m not running for office, but I am campaigning to get more people enthusiastic about being from Manchester,” Lavallee says. “I just try to do things that make me happy and potentially bring other people joy and not let myself feel shame for having these ideas that might be a little bit quirky or outside the box” — things like our chicken tender crawl.

“I feel confident in what this is and could be. I’m psyched,” says Lavallee. “Can you tell how enthusiastic I am?” NH

Get There

Puritan Backroom Restaurant

(603) 669-6890 • puritanbackroom.com

Goldenrod Restaurant Drive-In (603) 623-9469 • goldenrodrestaurant.com

Red Arrow Diner (603) 626-1118 • redarrowdiner.com

The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant

(603) 625-0246 • shaskeenirishpub.com

Charlie’s (603) 606-1835 • charliesgoffstown.com

Buy Wicked Joyful T-shirts, sweatshirts, action figures and other apparel and art-toys at wickedjoyful.bigcartel.com. Follow @wickedjoyful on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to stay up-to-date on pop-up shops, chicken tenders and other joyful happenings.

Blips

Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006

“Surviving” Sun and Snow

After competing on the hit CBS show “Survivor,” Noelle Lambert prepares for the Paralympics

BY CASEY McDERMOTT

It’s been a busy year for Noelle Lambert. Last spring, the 26-year-old Paralympian and Manchester resident spent several weeks in Fiji competing as the first above-the-knee amputee on the hit CBS reality show “Survivor.” While she was eventually voted off the island and missed out on the $1 million grand prize, she did make it into the final eight — and says she still feels like a winner. “The big reason I wanted to do the show to begin with was to portray

a positive image for the amputee community and people with disabilities,” Lambert says. “To show people that we are capable of doing just about every single thing that anybody else can do.”

After appearing on the show, Lambert says she received an outpouring of support from other amputees and people with disabilities, along with their family members. “Even though I didn’t win, I still got the million-dollar experience of touching other

people’s lives and having that positive impact on them,” she says.

Lambert’s had plenty of time to reflect on what her “Survivor” experience meant to her since landing back in New Hampshire, but she didn’t have much time to rest. Before going on “Survivor,” she says she made a deal with her track coach: If she did the show, she still had to be ready for the 2022 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships. After getting home from “Survivor,” she only had a week to train. “My body was mentally and physically exhausted,” she says. “And because I lost so much weight, my prosthetics weren’t fitting right.”

She explains that it was both a stressful and helpful time, finally able to take her mind off the reality show. In the months following, she continued to refocus on her training regimen while preparing for world championship competitions in both track

Lambert’s preparing for the 2024 Paralympics.

Noelle Lambert made it to the final eight on last spring’s season of “Survivor.”

and snowboarding — not to mention the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Reflecting on her “Survivor” experience, she says it felt like a dream. She wasn’t allowed to share any details until after the season aired, and readjusting to life outside of the cutthroat environment on the island — where allegiances can be made and broken in an instant — also took her a bit of time. “You get out of the game and you feel like you can’t trust anyone,” Lambert says. “You’re always monitoring everybody’s facial reactions and body language.”

Despite the competition’s high stakes, Lambert says she remains close with her fellow season 43 castaways. And having grown up watching the show with her mom, who she calls “the biggest diehard ‘Survivor’ fan,” Lambert cherishes receiving a true behind-the-scenes look at the show. “I knew it was going to be very, very difficult for me to actually win ‘Survivor,’” she says. “So just getting to play — that was amazing.”

Join Us at the NH State Home Show

Come

Saturday, March 4 (10am to 6pm) and Sunday, March 5 (10am to 4pm)

Center of NH Expo

Downtown Doubletree Hotel 700 Elm Street, Manchester

Over 200 businesses in the construction trade. Daily seminars and product demos! go to: NHStateHomeShow.com to learn more, buy tickets and review our list of vendors.

Among those mourning the loss of Pat Delzell, a pillar of the Granite State’s theatrical community, is comedian and Bedford native Sarah Silverman. On her eponymous podcast, Silverman says Delzell helped raise her after her parents divorced, took her to auditions and “could teach anyone how to read.” She also credits Delzell with helping to spark her love of musical theater, and describes her longtime friend as “beautiful, wonderful and weird.”

Come

Come

Saturday,

and Sunday, March 5

Come out the 56th Annual NH State Home Show

Saturday, March 4 (10am to 6pm) and Sunday, March 5 (10am to 4pm)

Presentedby:

In case you missed it: A Boston TV reporter went briefly viral after sharing an outtake that caught the attention of the Granite State. In the clip, Ellen Fleming of WWLP News notes the similarities between a piece of legislation in Massachusetts and a similar provision in “New Hampsha” — before quickly correcting herself. “Sometimes that Boston accent slips out when you least expect it,” she later tweeted, prompting a reply from Gov. Chris Sununu: “New Hampsha is just fine by us, @EllenFlem.”

Saturday, March 4 (10am to 6pm) and Sunday, March 5 (10am to 4pm)

GoldSponsor SilverSponsors Bronze Sponsors

Center of NH Expo

Over 200 businesses on display featuring the Construction Trades, Made in New England products, Beer & Wine Garden, Antique Alley, daily seminars and more!

www.belletetes.com

Center of NH Expo

Center of NH Expo

Downtown Doubletree Hotel

Downtown Doubletree Hotel

Downtown Doubletree Hotel

700 Elm Street, Manchester

700 Elm Street, Manchester

700 Elm Street, Manchester

Center

Over 200 businesses in the construction trade. Daily seminars and product demos! go to: NHStateHomeShow.com to learn more, buy tickets and review our list of vendors.

Over 200 businesses in the construction trade. Daily seminars and product demos! go to: NHStateHomeShow.com to learn more, buy tickets and review our list of vendors.

Over 200 businesses in the construction trade. Daily seminars and product demos! go to: NHStateHomeShow.com to learn more, buy tickets and review our list of vendors.

Presentedby:

Presentedby:

Presentedby:

MediaSponsors

Saturday, March 4 (10am to 6pm) and Sunday, March 5 (10am to 4pm) www.belletetes.com

www.belletetes.com

Granite State Guns

The most controversial cultural issue in New Hampshire isn’t abortion. (Sixty percent of residents opposed Roe v. Wade being overturned.) It isn’t same sex marriage. (Seventy-six percent back it.) It isn’t even whether marijuana should be legal. (Seventy-four percent think it should.)

It’s guns.

Indeed, it’s important to zoom in on the gun debate locally: Here in the Granite State it’s played out so uniquely New Hampshire, grounded in the “Live Free or Die” mindset and the push-and-pull between the state’s competing rural and suburban lifestyles. New Hampshire has also never had a headline-grabbing mass shooting — a tragedy that forces a community to really grapple with the issue.

Generally, New Hampshire holds varying firearm opinions throughout time. In 1994, conventional wisdom told us that Democratic Rep. Dick Swett lost reelection because he supported a federal assault weapon ban. Today, the woman holding the same seat, fellow Democrat Annie Kuster, voted for essentially the same assault weapons ban last year and coasted to reelection four months later.

Today, 55% of New Hampshire residents

say they want stricter gun laws in the state, according to a University of New Hampshire poll. Eight years earlier, only 45%. It’s likely that news coverage around our country’s frequent mass shootings influenced some minds. But complications of the gun debate become clearer when asking people how big of a problem it is here.

Consider a chart recently released by Everytown, a leading pro-gun-control organization, that indicates a pretty clear correlation: States that have the strictest gun laws also have a lower level of gun violence per capita (though, in fairness, anti-gun-control groups insist those findings are based on misleading data sets). And then there’s the curious case of New Hampshire: The Granite State is quite lax on gun laws, with levels of gun violence remaining low.

To those who support fewer gun laws, New Hampshire offers a good argument — but it’s an argument that works best here. Meanwhile, those in the state who want more gun laws don’t have much of a local argument nor a motivated public behind them. Instead, many just say they don’t understand why someone would own a gun

in the first place — which is beside the point for whether government should regulate guns more heavily. Instead of resulting in a stalemate, with political leaders throwing up their hands on the issue, the local data actually indicates something bipartisan that could be addressed on the topic.

In New Hampshire, 89% of gun deaths are suicide — wildly out of line with the national average of 59%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means New Hampshire can table the discussion on whether the only way to stop a bad person with a gun is to have a good person with a gun. New Hampshire’s problem with guns, 90% of the time, concerns an individual in crisis with access to a firearm.

This fact might change how gun-controlminded New Hampshire citizens and politicians address the topic, shifting away from challenging the Second Amendment to implementing policies like Red Flag laws — that temporarily remove guns from a person at risk of harming themselves or others — and considering whether an expanded waiting period to purchase a gun makes sense. NH

BY JAMES PINDELL / ILLUSTRATION BY PETER NOONAN

With the national gun control debate heating up, New Hampshire offers compelling local arguments on both sides

Since 2000, New Hampshire Magazine has polled and published the picks of its readers and editors in categories that range from cupcakes to martinis to antique shops and everything in between.

Save the date. Save your appetite.

Our annual Readers’ Poll and extensive list of Editor’s Picks all lead up to the state’s biggest celebration, the Best of NH Party, which will be held this year at Flag Hill Distillery and Winery, Lee, NH, on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

VOTING RUNS FROM JANUARY 17 — MARCH 17. CAST YOUR BALLOT AT BestofNH.com

Striking Iron

Attend a blacksmith class and get a lesson in music

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARSHALL HUDSON

Asmokey blue haze hangs in the air and greets me when I open the door to the blacksmith shop. The coal-fired forges have been lit but are still cold and not yet drafting away the smoke. The shop itself is sweatshirt cold, and the lighting is dim and dusky. Both will change once the flames in the forges start throwing light and heat. Students are practicing their hammering techniques while they wait for the forges to heat up, and the

striking of hammer on anvil has a pleasing ring to it. Alternating blows coupled with varying strengths of the students produces a rhythmic din reminding me of “The Lone Ranger” theme song. Ta-da-dump, ta-dadump, ta-da-dump

I’m at Sanborn Mills Farm in Loudon where blacksmith Garry Kalajian holds workshop classes teaching basics to beginners and more complicated techniques to advanced students. Kalajian has been striking iron for over 30 years, and he makes everything look easy. When I try my hand at it, I quickly discover that it is harder than it looks. I try hammering a 3/8-inch round piece into four equally squared sides, but the iron doesn’t cooperate. Heated to a hot red glow, I try hammering it flat on four sides, but it develops a twist and looks like a drill bit instead of a squared rod. On my attempt to straighten it, the iron overheats and breaks off in the forge, lost to the coal embers. I’m not quick enough on my second attempt and the piece cools down, making my hammer strikes ineffective. The right balance between too hot and not hot enough is determined by subtle differences in the shades of red and yellow in the heated iron. Lacking an experienced eye, the nuanced shade distinctions all blend together for me.

This is the second three-day class I’ve attended, and I’ve witnessed an eclectic

mix of students with varying skill levels making trivets, shelf brackets, tools, latch hooks and door strap hinges. Students range in age from 22 to 78. With me today is Eric, a 34-year-old software engineer from Somersworth. Skilled with his hands and creatively inclined, Eric decided to give blacksmithing a try. He is busy making iron trivets with a lot of compound “S” curves and rivets. Chris is a website designer from Deerfield. He grew up watching his gunsmith father make replacement parts and straighten bent gun barrels. Today, Chris is making a variety of tools, including tongs, punches, chisels and a flux spoon. When I ask him his plans for the new tools, he answers, “Use them to make more tools.”

Historically considered to be a maledominated profession, I’m surprised to find about a quarter of the students in my class are female. In the old west John Wayne movies, the blacksmith is usually a burly guy with bulging shoulders and forearms who also acts as the farrier. A farrier shoes horses, while a blacksmith makes the shoes. Kalajian tells me that men are more powerful and can heft a bigger hammer longer, but women tend to be more methodical and diligent in applying what they’ve learned. With proper hammering technique and good body mechanics, women often achieve results superior to their stronger male counterparts.

Working beside me are Elizabeth from Francestown and her daughter Hannah from Henniker. Both mother and daughter work in a hardware store frequented by Kalajian and were inspired to try blacksmithing after interacting with him as a regular customer. Elizabeth tells me she’s hammered iron for six months now and is

Instructor Garry Kalajian striking iron and making it look easy. It isn’t.

Students prod the fires in their forges and wait for class to begin at Sanborn Mills Farm blacksmith school.

setting up her own forge. Hannah says she’s always enjoyed crafts like ceramics, and this was a natural transition that provided another outlet for her artistic creativity. Another student, Emily, is 32 and a health care professional from Nashua. I ask her if she feels disadvantaged being a petite woman in a profession that requires a lot of upper-body shoulder and arm strength. “No,” she says without any hesitation, “but I’m left-handed and that is a disadvantage. The forge is set up backwards. The controls should be on the opposite end and the tool bench and anvil should be on the other side.”

Each student has their own workstation

complete with tools, forge, vise and anvil. Instructor Kalajian has his own station where he demonstrates the how-to-do-it techniques and then circulates amongst the students practicing what they just learned. I notice that the anvils at each station are different in size and shape. This gives each anvil and each student a distinctive “ping” reverberation when their hammer strikes iron. I mention this to Kalajian and the corners of his mouth turn up in subtle smile. Kalajian hasn’t always been a blacksmith. He holds degrees in music and education and spent several years pursuing his interest in choral conducting before switching to blacksmithing. When we break for lunch,

he returns with a tuning fork retrieved from his car. I strike my hammer on the anvil while he strikes the tuning fork, and we conclude my anvil has an F-natural pitch. Garry’s is a G and Emily’s rings with a C-sharp note, the difference created by the shape and mass of the anvil, the purity of its iron and the platform it is anchored upon. With these three musical notes, some variation in our striking pattern and sufficient motivation, we could probably hammer out a simple tune.

Sanborn Mills Farm offers these handson blacksmith courses about 14 times a year. Classes are typically held over a three-day-long weekend and include eighthour days of hammering iron and fixing mistakes. Students leave with whatever items they create. Sanborn Mills Farm owns the facility and handles the sign-ups, registration and fees. Dorm rooms and meals are available for students desiring to stay overnight. In addition to the introductory basic course, Kalajian also offers courses in forge welding, tool making, knife or cutting tools and advanced courses dealing with softer metals like brass and copper.

At the end of the day my shoulders ache, and my hands feel like they are vibrating. Proud of our accomplishments, we examine each other’s masterpieces, then extinguish our forges, put away our tools, say our goodbyes and make our way out the door. As the fires die down, coolness returns to the shop and the failing draft hangs a smokey blue haze in the air once again. NH

Here’s Hannah from Henniker hammering. Making things with iron is an outlet for her creativity.

Chris from Deerfield got to take the class as a birthday present from his wife, then signed up for another one.

The author gives hammering iron a try. He got better the second day.

Pirate Power

PHOTO AND INTERVIEW BY DAVID MENDELSOHN

A black pirate hat and pair of mismatched Chuck Taylor high tops, one red and one green, often chording a vintage Japanese guitar or pedal steel — yep, Jonee Earthquake has a certain style. Taking folk, surf, rockabilly and punk as inspirations, Earthquake put them all in a jar, screwed on the top and shook it until out poured a volcanic potion. His band is now a trio, simply for simplicity, with his backup players rotating easily from a vast pool of former members. If you should catch him as he persistently tours the state and region, tell him we said “Arrg.”

Two of my earliest influences were a U.K. band called Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and the U.S. band Paul Revere & the Raiders. I kinda borrowed that look and realized that if I only purchased one style of clothing, then I wouldn’t have to decide what to wear.

I have a whole closet full of white shirts, black jeans, black waistcoats, black tunics, red and green Converse high tops and black tricorn hats.

Around the time I was switching from folk music to punk, I was at the record shop at the mall. There was a guy trying to convince the sales clerk to stock his local 45. Being a chain, they said, “You gotta deal with the company head down in Boston.”

As he was leaving, I asked if I could see his record. He said, “Sure, have a copy.” That guy was GG Allin. We became friends and he taught me all about DIY . . . how to have our own 45s pressed, organize our own shows and sell them ourselves at shows.

I’ve never been happy with the sound of any of the recordings we made in a real studio. The clock’s always ticking. The producer/ engineer has his own way he thinks we should sound.

Now we just record everything the way we play it live, and I’m happier with that.

Music starts with a string vibrating. The pickup captures that vibration and sends it to the amp and the tubes amplify the vibrations. A microphone picks up that vibration, amplifies it and sends it to the cutting lathe that cuts grooves in a disc of vinyl. The needle that picks up those vibrations sends it to the amplifier and then to the speaker, which then vibrates and your ear picks up the vibrations.

Vinyl is good because it retains that warmth, but a CD can handle a lot more bass that would destroy a record groove. A lot of today’s music benefits from CD technology, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

We’ve probably gone through about 50 members since 1979. Most band members started off as fans first. And there’s always the situation where a current member can’t play a show and so we call up one of the exes who can’t play full-time anymore.

Sometimes I’ll switch songs that are on the setlist for others once I see the audience. But we love it when the audience gets involved.When people compliment us for a good show, I tell them it was a good show because the audience was great. Do I have a groupie problem? If you consider not having any groupies a problem, then yes! I have a groupie problem.

Musical Influences (For booking, merch and more info, visit joneeearthquake.com or Facebook)

Johnny Kidd & the Pirates

This English rock band led by singer/songwriter Johnny Kidd scored numerous hit songs from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Kidd was one of the few pre-Beatles British rockers to achieve global fame, mainly for his 1960 hit, “Shakin’ All Over,” later covered by many bands.

Paul Revere & the Raiders

An American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, The Raiders were huge hitmakers in the later 1960s and early 1970s. Lead singer Mark Lindsay, organist Paul Revere and the rest of the band were known for dressing in Revolutionary War-style clothing and their massive hit song, “Kicks.”

GG Allin

Born in Lancaster, GG Allin is one of the most notorious figures to arise from the American punk rock scene. His shows earned him the title “Most Spectacular Degenerate in Rock ‘n’ Roll History.”

Allin was buried in Littleton wearing his matching black leather jacket and jock strap.

THE

EXISTENTIAL MOMENT

BY JAY ATKINSON

KLEMENTOVICH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE

↙ THOM POLLARD FINDING HIS WAY UP A ROUTE NAMED “REVERBERATION 5.6” AT WHITEHORSE LEDGE

I’m 25 feet off the ground, my face pressed against the rock, breathing hard and swearing under my breath.

Above me, Whitehorse Ledge is a steep, gray-green, rumpled sheet of granite. It arches overhead, soaring upward, rolling over darker veins of rock, the upper half of the 800-foot cliff dappled in sunlight. > > >

“You got this,” said Thom Pollard, who’s holding the rope, belaying me.

The sun had risen above the cliff, and temperatures were in the low 70s. Eight minutes into the climb my heart was banging away while I maintained a left-footed toehold no larger than a Buffalo nickel, my balky right foot hanging in space.

I could feel my rugby pals, Mike Zizza and Chris Pierce, watching me from the ground. After Joe Klementovich had freeclimbed a route called Ancient Artifacts, he ran a sturdy rope through a bolt 70 feet up the cliff, allowing the three novice climbers in our party to be “top-roped.” That way, we could fix the rope to a harness slung around our waists, increasing the margin of safety.

But you still have to climb — the rope is a way down, not up — and you can get bounced around if you lose contact and bang against the rock. After Joe returned to the ground, Mike was the first to try the route. Except for Joe and Thom, the rest of us were new to the sport, but Mike is sturdy and fit, reaching the anchor and rappelling back down after a couple of brief hesitations.

Now, my left hand was stretched to one side, fingers dug into a crack, and my other arm extended upward, groping for a nub of rock. Sweat poured into my eyes as the lactic acid pooled in my legs, weighing me down.

This is what I jokingly — and sometimes not so jokingly — call the “existential moment.” Mike and Piercey and I are outdoors year-round, and we rely on each other’s abilities to get us through. In this situation, I could keep moving upward, or I could descend by the rope, perhaps trying again after Piercey had his turn.

At that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to perform either of those actions.

Our weekend in the White Mountains had been in the planning stages for several weeks. All juggling busy schedules including work, family and a range of sporting pursuits, the five of us had converged at the Wildcat Inn and Tavern in Jackson Village the night before, eager to get outdoors during this first blush of good weather.

Joe is an expert rock and ice climber with a resume that includes an 11-hour ascent of the Regular Route on Half Dome in Yosemite Valley. He’d just returned from a paddleboard trip through the Grand

Canyon, while Thom Pollard had cancelled two events related to his podcast, “The Happiness Quotient,” so he could join us. We had a tight schedule, cramming a week’s worth of adventures into 24 hours.

Having played rugby together a long while, Piercey, Mike and I know each other well and spend a lot of time exploring the landscape. Another rugby friend of ours, Stew Dunlop, owns the Wildcat Inn and Tavern as well as North Conway’s Kearsarge Inn. Piercey, Mike and I were rooming at the Kearsarge, and though Stew was out of town, he had arranged for us to dine on the lawn behind the Wildcat.

I’d been looking forward to reconnecting with Thom Pollard. Stew introduced us three years ago, and we’ve been thick as thieves ever since. This was due to our shared belief that life is either full of ad-

venture, or it ain’t really life — along with a profound love of the White Mountains and all the terrain running from there to the Canadian border.

Thom Dharma Pollard, 61, of Bartlett, New Hampshire, has filmed four Everest documentaries over the last 23 years. In 1999, Pollard was acting as cameraman during an expedition to locate British mountaineer George Mallory who disappeared while trying to summit Everest in 1924. Pollard laid his hands on Mallory’s body, and was the only person to look into his face when the corpse was discovered at 27,000 feet. When the right moment arrived, I was hoping Pollard would share one of his untold Everest stories with us.

In 2016, Pollard returned to Everest as a cameraman on the documentary “Sharing Everest,” reaching the summit beneath a

Writer Jay Atkinson searching the smooth granite, hoping to find a suitable foothold.

full moon. Three years later, he came back to the mountain to hunt for Mallory’s partner, Sandy Irvine, which led to the documentary “Lost on Everest” (National Geographic/Disney). Irvine’s body still remains missing.

Before he became a world-class mountaineer, Pollard earned a swimming scholarship to NCAA Division I Boston University. I teach journalism at BU and marveled at the fact that Pollard, who stands 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 155 pounds, was a varsity swimmer. (Nowadays, many swimmers look like they come from “Land of the Giants.”) During his junior year when Pollard was team captain, his best event was the 400-yard individual medley. He made the consolation finals in the Eastern Seaboard Championships at West Point in 1983.

A compact, wry-tempered and cheerful fellow, Pollard is a world-class raconteur, traveling widely to give talks on his life as an adventurer. Once we cleared the first two activities of the weekend, we’d convene for a “bull session” at the Wildcat in Jackson, where Pollard once worked as a bartender. I figured that after a few beers, he’d tell a couple good stories while my pals and I shared a few tales from our experiences traveling the world to play rugby.

Whitehorse Ledge has an elevation of 1,450 feet, with a daunting cliff that rises up from the valley floor and divides into two sections, the Slabs and the South Buttress. Catching my breath, I told Pollard I was going to rely on his belay, scanning the brow of the overhang far above, then lowering my gaze to locate a

handhold that I’d overlooked.

Earlier, at the base of the cliff, it felt like it was raining caterpillars, an Old Testament plague of locusts, leaving deposits of caterpillar feces in every crevice of the rock. I had a hand full of it when I pulled away from the narrow crack.

Pollard called out. “You all right?”

I took a deep breath through my nose, exhaling slowly. “Climbing,” I said.

Off to my right, there was a diagonal ledge with an adjoining crack. Asking Pollard for a little slack on the rope, I pushed off with my left foot and swung over to the right, detouring from Mike’s route. Able to get both hands into the crack, I went right-left-right up the narrow chimney, doing a series of pull-ups with the toes of my climbing shoes wedged against the jagged ledge.

Top: Chris Pierce giving Jay Atkinson a strong belay at the bottom of Whitehorse Ledge.

Bottom: Mike Zizza learning to belay under the watchful eye of Thom Pollard.

I gained a dozen feet quickly, a surge of confidence rising in my chest. Joe kept saying, “Don’t hug the rock. Have confidence in your feet.”

Now I leaned back on the rope, the toes of both feet gripping the rock. Fifty feet off the ground, I still faced a significant obstacle — the rock bulged outward in a perpendicular dome, not very steep along the sides but rounded and smooth.

Suddenly, I realized that climbing was a complex math problem. Move right or left, up or down, and the numbers all change — the dimensions of the rock morphing into different shapes, changing the geometry on the fly.

I was 20 feet from Joe’s anchor. From the ground, it likely appeared that I’d topped the route, and for a moment I thought about saying I was going to descend. But the social calculus of the day’s challenges was predicated on all five of us getting it done.

I’d been on the rock for 17 minutes, my calves trembling, sweat dripping down my face in large pellets. Splaying my feet like a duck, I made a quick step to the left, choosing a better spot for tackling the round protrusion of granite just above.

Pollard said, “Nice move, dude. You got it.”

Then I took one big step upward and to my right, inched sideways and I was at the anchor.

“Nice, Atkinson!” Piercey said. “That’s how to do it, brother.”

Standing atop the rocky dome, I flexed my right bicep.

“Move your sleeve out of the way,” said Piercey, raising his phone to take a picture. I laughed. “So you can see my pencil arm.”

Next, Piercey began scrambling up the rock, with Mike on belay. Twenty minutes later when Pollard started up, Piercey belayed him and I sat in the shade, writing in my notebook. Joe was taking photos of Pollard going up the cliff. Then he snapped my picture, took the camera away from his face and raised his eyebrows.

Joe and I have been working together for a long time, and both understand there are always two competing tasks — enjoying a “pure” outdoor experience while also capturing it on film and in print. He was asking for a situation report.

Rubbing my thumb and index finger together, I said, “Money,” grinning.

A short while later, all five us had topped the route, packed our gear and were hiking out. Soon our caravan of vehicles was flying down West Side Road toward Conway, heading for Route 16 and Chocorua Lake in Tamworth.

Every summer when I was a kid, my family spent a few weeks camping in the White Mountains. There’s always been something indefinable about 220-acre Chocorua Lake — a spiritual aura that settles over me the minute I arrive. On my first trek up 3,490-foot Mount Chocorua, I was 10 years old, my younger sisters,

Jodie and Jill, were there and Dad carried my younger brother, Jamie, in his backpack. For lunch, Mom brought along hamburger rolls slathered in peanut butter, and we ate them on the summit. I still consider those hamburger rolls the best meal I’ve ever eaten.

In recent years, I’ve often risen at 4 a.m. to drive 100 miles to the lake, wading into the cold clear water for a long, soul-cleansing swim. When our caravan arrived at the parking lot, a wedding party had gathered there for photos. But the shoreline was quiet and the water was like ruffled quicksilver with narrow clouds running across a mottled blue sky.

Joe launched his paddleboard, and so did Pollard’s girlfriend, Kristen Pilarcik, an athletic blonde woman who’d just arrived at the lake. Piercey, Mike and Pollard slipped along in the pebbly shallows and began stroking for a point on the eastern shore 500 yards away. I looked on as they scribbled thin white trails over the surface of the water.

Adjusting my goggles, I made the sign of the cross and headed straight down the middle of the lake, the rocky dome of Mount Chocorua rising into the azure sky. As I swam, the vast plain of the lake became the whole universe, my friends and I its only inhabitants.

An hour later we returned to shore, fetched some camp chairs and set up by the lake. The wedding party had left, and the parking lot was nearly empty. Piercey had some expensive tequila with him and passed it around. I said no thanks, and Pollard and I started chatting. I had something in my cooler to share with the group and once everyone was settled, I pulled out a bag of spinach pies from Korbani’s Bakery in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Hand-sized and triangular, the pies are a mix of spinach, onions, lemon juice and seasoning, the dough thin and chewy. “Wow,” Kristen said. “These are incredible.”

Dipping them in Korbani’s hummus was far superior to a handful of trail mix, and since we’d been outdoors all day, the pies and tequila disappeared as the liveliness of our conversation increased. There were a dozen great stories — playing rugby on the island of Fiji during a coup, bone-chilling winter treks and crossing an ocean in an old wooden boat.

Pollard gives off a Zen hipster vibe —

Jay Atkinson jotting down notes and quotes on the shady shoreline of Lake Chocorua.

Chris and Thom trying out some paddleboarding after a refreshing swim in the clear, cool waters of Lake Chocorua.

no matter what happens, he digs it and moves on. Soon I was telling Pollard about “the one who got away,” a familiar story of thwarted romance unless, of course, you’ve never heard it.

Pollard looked out from beneath the brim of his cap, saying, “You’ll never love any human being more than you love yourself.”

Gesturing to Mike, I nodded at Pollard. “This is like swimming with Yoda,” I said.

Shortly thereafter, we took our leave, returning to the Kearsarge Inn so we could get cleaned up. When Mike, Piercey and I arrived at the Wildcat, the bar was filling up with rugby players in town for a memorial golf tournament. The Wildcat Inn and Tavern features a 12-room inn, a rustic bar with a large fireplace and a spacious dining room. Owner Stew Dunlop greeted us, and soon our party was occupying a table in the Wildcat’s well-maintained backyard.

Steeped in rugby’s culture of brotherhood, Stew began rhapsodizing about the electric atmosphere in the tavern and stood to propose a toast. A stout, blue-eyed man with no lack of confidence, his declaration had stretched into its third minute when I leaned over to Pollard while motioning at Stew.

“Thanks for picking up the tab, Stew,” I said in an undertone, while Pollard stifled a laugh. At length, our host wrapped up his soliloquy and we all stood up and raised our glasses.

Suddenly one of our party shouted out, “To Jay Atkinson!” and everyone around the table repeated the phrase in a loud voice. It took me a second to realize whose name they were shouting out.

I clinked my glass of water against their beers. “Happy to provide you with this great opportunity,” I said.

But Piercey, drink in hand, was eyeballing me. In a voice that slid beneath the din, he said, “You’re a tough, moody, stubborn, opinionated, son-of-a…” going on for another minute or so.

I winked at Mike. “He included one positive trait,” I said. “That’s a first.”

But Piercey was still gazing at me. “You’re tough,” he said, nodding.

After a fine meal outdoors, we repaired

Thom Pollard getting into some “deep” thoughts in the waters of Lake Chocorua.

Kristen Pilarcik exploring the calm waters of Lake Chocorua after our swim.

to the bar. The night before, I’d promised Mike that I’d have a glass of whiskey after we cleared the swim. He was sitting to my right and Pollard was on my left as a six-piece band with a talented female singer belted out a few tunes. The waitress brought the drinks, and I leaned back in my chair sipping the smooth rye whiskey.

Pollard leaned over while the music rattled the plate-glass windows. He had something to say about his experiences on Mount Everest in the spring of 2019. When he was safely to Advanced Base Camp at 21,000 feet, getting ready for his summit attempt, the lower right side of his face went numb. It was likely a sign that he was experiencing a Transient Ischemic Attack, or TIA, a potentially fatal blockage in a blood vessel.

The symptoms went away after a few minutes, but Pollard knew something serious had occurred. Mulling over his desire to summit, he told other members of his team what happened. In keeping with an unwritten rule for this type of expedition, several climbers told Pollard it was “up to him” whether he should continue, or begin his descent toward safety.

But his friend and climbing partner Jamie McGuinness, who has summitted Everest six times, was more direct. “Ever-

est is a shit show,” he said. “Bail out, dude. What do you have left to prove?”

Looking at me, Pollard said, “In 2016, three guys died on Everest the same day. If you die on Everest, they pitch you into a crevasse, or drag you down to base camp — if you’re lucky.” He paused. “You get to know what you’re capable of in extreme situations.”

The next morning, we were packing our gear at the Kearsarge Inn when Stew called to say he was going to drop by. The night before, Stew told us that he hadn’t been on-site Friday because he’d driven to Portland, Maine, to watch his daughter run a half-marathon. First, he said that he’d arrived at a bar called Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub before noon and drank Bloody Marys with some of the Portland rugby guys. An hour later, Stew declared that at the last minute he’d decided to run the half marathon, finishing in 3 hours, 45 minutes.

I told Mike and Piercey that I was going to launch an inquiry into Stew’s conflicting accounts. Promptly he knocked on our door and came inside. Arms folded, I asked him which of these unlikely stories was true.

“Both of them,” Stew said.

I looked at Mike and Piercey. “That’s

called the ‘Irish truth,’” I said.

Twenty minutes later, we were headed for a mountain bike ride at the Marshall Conservation Area on West Side Road in Conway. Only three vehicles dotted the lot, and it was a sunny 75 degrees. We pulled the bikes off the racks, donned our helmets and started uphill.

Soon we were swooping over the switchback trails — Shumway, Lager, Cow Link — rising and falling over the undulating terrain, the drop-off ledges and rocks appearing suddenly.

I was squeezing the frame of my bike with my thighs, riding the contour of the trail, the blurry green continuum of the trees careering past, as if they were flying downhill as we rode up and over the bumps and hillocks.

Piercey is a strong rider, and went zooming ahead to scout new routes after identifying them on his phone.

Five miles in, we convened at height of land. Piercey was heading southward on a new trail, figuring he’d reach the parking lot 10 minutes after we did. Mike and I were going to descend Shumway, which I’d enjoyed on a previous trip. Nodding to each other, we set off.

“Good work, boys,” said Piercey, and we all went rocketing downhill. NH

Under the craggy summit of Mount Chocorua, Mike Zizza swims by himself for a while.

KEEP EXPLORING! Our “Explorers” series of narrated adventures, featuring Jay Atkinson, Joe Klementovich and their merry band of outdoor enthusiasts, has appeared in our pages for half a decade. Find their other explorations at: nhmagazine.com/explorers

Moonlight Murders on Smuttynose Island WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 150 YEARS AGO?

BY J. DENNIS ROBINSON

ILLUSTRATION BY FOTOKITA

t is a grim anniversary. On March 5, 1873, a down-and-out Prussian fisherman stole a small wooden boat from a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, dock and rowed to the Isles of Shoals. In mild weather on calm seas, lit by a rising moon and urged forward by a powerful tide, Louis Wagner hauled on the wooden oars, blistering his already calloused hands. More than $600, three times what he could make in a year baiting hooks and hauling trawl lines, was waiting for him on Smuttynose Island. What began as a bold robbery quickly devolved into a grisly double murder that, 150 years later, will not go away.

After seven years in America, Norwegian immigrant John Hontvet had his own schooner and a successful fishing business. John could afford to pay the transatlantic passage for his brother, Matthew, and for Maren Christensen, whom he married. By 1872 they were all living in a rented duplex on Smuttynose Island, just over the New Hampshire border in Maine. John had also brought over Karen Christensen, Maren's older sister. Karen was working as a maid at

nearby Appledore Island, preparing the hotel for the coming tourist season.

In need of another crewman, John Hontvet hired Louis Wagner, who was allowed to live on the other side of the duplex. It was a bad idea. Wagner, aged 28, frequently complained that rheumatism prevented him from working. When Maren's brother, Ivan, and his wife, Anethe, arrived from Norway, Wagner was forced to move off the island. In the days leading up to the murder, Wagner was sharing a small room with two other men in a cheap boarding house on the Portsmouth waterfront. His rent was six weeks overdue and, according to another fisherman, Wagner had to borrow 35 cents just to buy tobacco.

On March 5, Wagner was lingering on the docks in the city's gritty South End neighborhood (now Prescott Park) when the Hontvet schooner Clara Bella arrived.

"You have been quite a stranger to me," Wagner told John Hontvet. "I have not seen you since three weeks before Christmas."

Wagner appeared to be annoyed that Ivan was working with Matthew and John. It was Ivan, after all, whose arrival from Norway had put an end to Wagner's free room and board on Smuttynose Island. Unaware of how des-

perate Wagner had become, John Hontvet foolishly revealed he had saved $600 to buy a new boat. According to John's later trial testimony, Wagner asked three times if the men planned to return to Smuttynose that night. Feigning concern, Wagner worried whether Maren and Anethe would be safe all alone on the island at night.

And here we must insert a critical detail. Since the 1620s, men who fished off the Isles of Shoals had been doing it the oldfashioned way: with a few hooks on a line. John Hontvet was a local pioneer in the high-tech "tub trawl" technique. Long wires with as many as a thousand hooks were laboriously baited by hand and curled into a wooden tub. Crewmen then uncoiled the baited lines into the sea and marked the location with floating buoys. The resulting catch could be enormously profitable. But the operation required so much bait that John had ordered it shipped to Portsmouth from Boston by train.

Had the train arrived on time, Karen and Anethe Christensen might have lived full lives and we would not know their killer’s name. But the delivery, John learned, would not arrive until midnight. Wagner said he would be back later to help bait trawls. He needed the cash. John's crew worked through the night, but Wagner never returned.

Crime & Capture

No one saw Louis Wagner steal David Burke’s dory from the dock at the base of Pickering Street in the city’s South End. No one saw him beach his boat near where a granite breakwater now connects Smuttynose to Cedar Island and Star Island across Gosport Harbor. The thief in the night likely planned to slip silently through what he knew was an unlocked door and into the warm Hontvet kitchen where Maren had served him many meals. So far, so good.

Wagner knew the island well. But he did not know Karen Christensen had quarreled with Eliza Laighton, owner of the Appledore Hotel, and been fired. Karen was sleeping on a makeshift bed near the stove in the kitchen. Startled by Wagner's entrance, she cried out. For his plan to work, Wagner knew, he could not be identified. In the darkness, he grabbed a heavy wooden chair and brought it down hard on the moonlit figure.

The commotion woke Maren and Anethe who were sleeping in the downstairs bedroom. Ringe, the family dog, barked. Karen, battered and terrified, managed to join her

The deadly weapon, its handle broken during the murders, is in the collection of the Portsmouth Athenaeum. A robbery gone wrong, the killer picked up an ax used to chop the ice at the island well.

PHOTO BY J. DENNIS ROBINSON

View of Haley's Cove at high tide at Smuttynose Island with Malaga Island in the background.

Photo by J. Dennis Robinson

One of over 200 newspaper clippings in the author's collection featuring the 1873 "crime of the century." The story was covered from coast to coast and souvenir photos were advertised for sale.

sister and sister-in-law in the bedroom.

Trapped by an unseen monster, the three women huddled together in the bedroom. When Anethe, the youngest, tried to escape out the window, a familiar man loomed up from the darkness. "Louis, Louis, Louis!" she cried, and fell silent.

Maren Hontvet could not see the face of the shadowy figure that struck Anethe with an ax, but she knew the name. It could only be Louis Wagner. Injured and paralyzed with fear, Karen could not move. As the dark shape rounded the corner of the house, heading back inside, Maren climbed out the window and ran. Hiding among the icy rocks, she heard Karen's final scream.

There were close to a dozen empty buildings on Smuttynose in 1873, including a dilapidated old hotel, but no other residents. Wagner searched for Maren for hours, evidenced by his size 11 boot prints in the snow. The robber-turned-killer washed up by the island well. He searched without success for John Hontvet's hidden fortune, leaving bloody handprints in an age before CSI-style testing. He dragged Anethe's body into the kitchen and ate a meal before rowing back to the mainland.

Arriving at dawn, exhausted, Wagner stashed his stolen boat at New Castle Island, at a spot the locals called Devil's Den. A year later, in 1874, the newly constructed Wentworth Hotel opened nearby. Windburned, coated in ice and spots of blood, he trudged roughly three miles back to the Johnson boarding house in Portsmouth. Witnesses would later identify him at "the trial of the century."

Despite his frightful condition (he swore the blood was fish guts) and lack of sleep, Louis Wagner hopped the morning train to Boston. There he paid for a haircut and shaved off his beard. He bought a set of used clothes and boots and chatted incoherently with a local prostitute. Having been penniless the previous day, Wagner spent between $15 and $16 — the same amount missing from the Hontvet house — before he was broke again. Stopping at a boarding house where he had once lived, Wagner begged owner Katherine Brown for a free meal. When he fell asleep near the warm kitchen stove, Mrs. Brown alerted the police. By the time he had eaten dinner, Wagner was under arrest.

Maren Hontvet, meanwhile, had survived the night. A Norwegian family living on Appledore Island spotted and rescued her on the morning of March 6.

family owned the Appledore Hotel, rushed to Maren's aid. It was Celia's family who had rented the house on Smuttynose to the Hontvets, and it was Celia's mother, Eliza, who had fired Karen Christensen two weeks earlier. In shock, Maren could only repeat, "Louis, Louis, Louis."

The crew of the Clara Bella, landing at Smuttynose, discovered the horrific scene. Ivan Christensen, cradling the body of his wife Anethe, was overcome by grief. After visiting Maren, John Hontvet delivered a description of the killer to the local police.

By 8:45 that night, a Portsmouth officer had traveled to Boston to collect the prisoner.

"That’s the man, but perhaps the wrong one," Wagner retorted. He would assert his innocence even on the gallows.

By the time the prisoner arrived back in Portsmouth, on March 7, a "hooting mob" had assembled at the train station. The crowd chanted: "Lynch him! Kill him! String him up!" Police officers drew their revolvers in defense and, assisted by marines from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Wagner was safely escorted through city streets and locked up. Within an hour, the crew of the Clara Bella entered the police station through a side door.

"Oh, damn you murderer!" John Hontvet cursed Wagner. "You kill my wife’s sister and her brother’s wife."

Laighton Thaxter, a famous Victorian poet whose

Celia

"That’s the man we are looking for," the Portsmouth officer told his Boston colleagues. "Gentlemen, you have got a murderer."

"Johnny, you are mistaken,” Wagner replied, gripping the jailhouse bars with his

Likely a souvenir photograph offered for sale after the murders shows an unknown woman on the steps of the Hontvet "murder" house. The Haley Cottage in the background is still in use by island stewards.

An enterprising photographer recorded the recapture of "Isles of Shoals murderer" Louis Wagner in Farmington, days after his dramatic jailbreak. Wagner (in shackles at left) is seen here with local sheriff A.J. Scruton (center) and an unidentified man.

heavily blistered hands. “I hope you will find the right man who done it."

"I got him," John said. "Hanging is too good for you, and Hell is too good for you. You ought to be cut to pieces and put on to fish-hooks."

This dialogue, we should be aware, comes from Wagner’s testimony. At trial, in his defense, the prisoner would blame John Hontvet for leaving the women alone and unprotected. Later, while on death row, he repeatedly claimed that Maren Hontvet was the killer.

Trial & Execution

By the next day, Louis Wagner was a fullfledged celebrity. Hundreds of citizens — women and children included — crowded the jailhouse to catch a glimpse of the prisoner. Many were shocked to find him a gentle and attractive young man who seemed to enjoy the attention, especially from the ladies. Dueling Portsmouth daily newspapers immediately took sides over the prisoner's guilt or innocence.

Under interrogation, Wagner spun a detailed alibi. Although known to avoid alcohol, he claimed he had gotten drunk at

a saloon, the name and location of which he could not recall. The beer made him sick, he said. He slipped and fell, then spent much of the night lying outdoors in the streets of Portsmouth, although he was not certain where. He later returned to bait trawls with John Hontvet, Wagner explained, but fell asleep, unseen, in an adjoining room. The prisoner denied having stuffed a bloody shirt down the privy after returning to his boarding house. An analysis of the stolen dory showed the wooden thole pins connected to the oarlocks had been worn down in a single night.

"The chain of evidence seems to be tightly closing around Wagner as the murderer," the weekly Portsmouth Journal concluded.

Local outrage flared when, 60 hours after the murder, the bodies of the two women arrived from the Isles of Shoals. The head of 25-year-old Anethe Christensen, the coroner reported, had been "terribly hacked to pieces." Discovered under a bed in what had been Wagner's side of the duplex, Karen Christensen, 39, had been bludgeoned and strangled.

George Yeaton, the prosecuting attorney, was a polished and cultivated legal mind.

Since Smuttynose Island was technically in Maine, Yeaton smuggled his notorious suspect through a second Portsmouth lynch mob and across the Piscataqua River by train. Wagner found himself in a comfortable, newly constructed prison in the York County "shire" village of Alfred, Maine. Newspapers coast-to-coast feverishly covered his nineday trial.

"He possesses one of those faces to which you would naturally take a liking, though there is about it a weak appearance, which grows upon you, the more you look upon him," the Portland Press reported.

The prisoner continued to plead his innocence, often bursting into tears that shocked Victorian audiences. Even Celia Thaxter later admitted that Wagner’s demeanor in jail and at trial "was a wonderful piece of acting" that "really inspired people with doubt as to his guilt." Why would he hurt the Hontvets? They were his best friends, he claimed.

"If I wanted money," Wagner explained, "I knew every trunk in the house; knew Hontvet was in Portsmouth; could have gone there and taken the money if they were asleep without murdering them." In Wagner's twisted universe, the victims were to blame for waking up and spoiling his perfect robbery plan.

Wagner's court-appointed lawyers included Col. Rufus Tapley, a former judge from Maine, and Max Fischacher, a Jewish attorney from Boston. But his dream team had no case. Witness after witness confirmed seeing the prisoner on the road from New Castle the morning after the massacre. No one had seen him in Portsmouth for 11 hours. His flight to Boston, his bloody clothes, the stolen boat and Maren Hontvet's stirring testimony at trial built a damning circumstantial case.

Twelve male jurors deliberated for 55 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. Back in the courtroom a week later, Wagner was sentenced to death by hanging. He returned calmly to his cell in shackles. That night, he picked the lock on his cell door and disappeared, taking two accomplices with him.

"The report of Wagner’s escape at Alfred caused much excitement and no little indignation," according to the Portsmouth Evening Times. Three days later, the convicted ax murderer was recaptured near Gonic, New Hampshire. He was not running away, the prisoner claimed, but simply needed some exercise. Suddenly converted to Christianity, Wagner often announced that God would not allow an innocent man to be executed.

Haley Cottage, often mistaken for the "murder house" was built sometime between 1770 and 1800. The Oceanic Hotel on Star Island in New Hampshire is visible across Gosport Harbor. Photo by J. Dennis Robinson.

Two years later, Louis Wagner stood on the gallows at Thomaston, Maine, next to another ax murderer. John True Gordon had killed his brother, his sister-in-law and their 17-month-old daughter as they slept in the family bed. He then poured kerosene on the bodies and set fire to their farmhouse. Gordon had confessed and even attempted suicide, but Wagner continued to claim his innocence. As the local sheriff placed a black hood over Wagner's head, the Smuttynose murderer gave a final pitying glance at his companion. "Good and poor John, we’re gone," he said.

Fact, Fiction & Fake News

Wagner was biding his final days on death row when Celia Thaxter's essay, "A Memorable Murder," appeared in the prestigious Atlantic Monthly magazine. Arguably Celia's best work, the story of Karen and Anethe scandalized many readers who considered the subject unfit for a female writer.

"Maren and her husband still live blameless lives," Celia wrote, "with the little dog Ringe, in a new home they have made for themselves in Portsmouth." In April 1876, John launched his new schooner, named Mary S. Hontvet after his wife. He was

still at sea a month later when a "startling rumor" appeared in local newspapers.

According to an unnamed source, a dying "Swedish" woman had confessed to killing her sister and her sister-in-law on Smuttynose Island. Although quickly retracted and debunked, the cruel hoax was a terrible blow to the Hontvets.

The couple's only child, Clara Eleanor Hontvet, was born in Portsmouth on January 6, 1877, when Maren was 42. Mother and child traveled to a village near Oslo some time in the early 1880s. Maren Sebeille Hontvet died in Norway on June 24, 1887, more than 10 years after the fraudulent deathbed confession had appeared. After surviving several harrowing shipwrecks, John Christian Hontvet remarried and turned to farming in Portsmouth until his death in 1904.

In 1926, Harvard-educated librarian Edmund Pearson re-opened the case in his book “Murder at Smutty Nose and Other Murders.” Considered the father of the "true crime" genre, Pearson saw Louis Wagner as the quintessential social deviant. The poor, frustrated and friendless fisherman was outwardly attractive, yet "as dangerous as a rattlesnake," Pearson wrote. Although

convinced of Wagner's guilt, Pearson's book stirred the pot for a new generation of armchair detectives.

Instead of silencing skeptics with the truth, “Murder at Smutty Nose” seemed to summon a coven of conspiracy theorists. It was impossible, skeptics insisted, for Wagner to row to the Shoals and back. John Hontvet, for the record, testified that he had made the trip in a rowboat at least 50 times. Kayakers regularly row the distance today. In a 21st century reenactment, a 75-year-old businessman in a replica wooden boat covered the distance easily in 2 hours and 14 minutes. Wagner, a strapping 28-year-old dory fisherman, was gone for 11 hours.

A wave of pro-Wagnerites, most who knew only the bare bones of the story, seized on the killer's claim that Maren was to blame. To Edmund Pearson, such blind faith in the face of so much evidence was criminal behavior.

"To seek to clear Louis Wagner at the expense of Maren Hontvet is to engage in a second hunting of that wretched woman," Pearson wrote. "It is only a little less despicable than the pursuit which took place over the rocks of the island on that winter night."

Novelist Anita Shreve took the "Marendid-it theory" to new heights. Shreve deftly

Louis Wagner's escape from the new high-security jail in Alfred, Maine created a panic in the bustling tourist summer of 1873. The cell where Wagner was housed during his trial still survives inside the post-Civil War brick building.

PHOTO BY J. DENNIS ROBINSON

fictionalized details from Celia Thaxter, Edmund Pearson and the Wagner trial transcript to create her 1997 bestseller, “The Weight of Water.” The novel included an invented deathbed confession letter from Maren, spawning yet another generation of conspiracy theorists. Academy Award–winning director Kathryn Bigelow adapted “The Weight of Water” into a Hollywood film of the same name. The $16-million mystery thriller starring Sean Penn bombed at the box office, bringing in an estimated $321,279 worldwide.

The debate drags on. Can an author or filmmaker flip history upside down, turning real life victims like Maren Hontvet into murderers? University of New Hampshire professor Larry Robertson posed this question to readers of the Portsmouth Herald during the release of the film. Technically, yes. Fiction writers have been murdering facts since Shakespeare wrote his ofteninaccurate history plays based on the British monarchy.

Could someone else be guilty? Wagner offered a number of alternate theories while awaiting execution — a sailor from a “mystery ship” or a carpenter building the hotel

on Star Island, perhaps. A Maine professor argued that blood seen on Maren’s nightgown after her rescue was a smoking gun. For the record, after discovering Anethe’s body, the surviving victim had bloodied her hands and bare feet on the sharp island rocks. A local cruise ship captain, without evidence, cruelly suggested that Celia Thaxter’s mentally challenged son, Karl, was to blame.

Was Louis Wagner a sociopath? The concept was unknown in the Victorian era when electric lights were still a decade in the future. But based on his actions and many published media interviews, Wagner ticks all the boxes. He was glib, grandiose, opportunistic, boastful, superficially charming, impulsive and cunning. He was also a pathological liar, had no long-term goals or friends and exhibited no remorse or responsibility for his actions.

"The sociopathic mind makes excuses for everything," says criminal law instructor Terry Kalil, today a steward of Smuttynose Island, "because they cannot admit that another person is right." Everything that went wrong in Wagner's world was someone else's fault.

And yet, like the Hontvets, we are hopelessly drawn into Wagner’s web. The tale of a double homicide on a moonlit island has been transformed into a bestseller, a film, a graphic novel, a true crime documentary, podcasts, a stage play, research papers, countless articles, even a ballet and a virtual reality movie.

No photograph of Karen or Anethe Christensen survives. They are pictured, inevitably, as two conjoined tombstones in Portsmouth's South Cemetery. It is the killer, all too often, who dominates the headlines, leaving us with unanswerable questions and a voice from the grave, crying, "Louis, Louis, Louis!" NH

J. Dennis Robinson has been a volunteer steward of the privately owned Smuttynose Island for over two decades. He is the author of “Mystery on the Isles of Shoals: Closing the Case on the Smuttynose Ax Murders of 1873” and “Under the Isles of Shoals: Archaeology & Discovery on Smuttynose Island.” His latest books and articles can be seen online at jdennisrobinson.com.

The graves of Anethe and Karen Christensen at South Cemetery in Portsmouth, NH.

PHOTO FROM THE COLLECTION OF J. DENNIS ROBINSON

Top Docs 2023

548 DOCTORS in 64 SPECIALTIES

Left to right: Adrian Thomas, M.D., James Noble, M.D. and Meghna Misra, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S. →

PHOTO BY KENDAL J. BUSH / COMPOSITED BY JOHN R. GOODWIN

For the 2023 Top Doctors Poll, we selected national research firm Castle Connolly to conduct the survey process. Included are 548 doctors in their chosen specialties, as nominated by their peers, who cover a wide range of medical needs from pediatrics to surgical care. We also asked several of this year’s Top Doctors to share a quotation, goal or anecdote that helps motivate or inspire them to continue practicing medicine at the highest level.

Who made the list in this years Top Docs?

Addiction Medicine

Mitchell G. Cohen, M.D.

St. Joseph Hospital Primary and Specialty Care Services

Nashua, (603) 891-4500

Adolescent Medicine

Keith J. Loud, M.D., M.S.C.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Darmouth Health Children’s

Lebanon, (603) 653-9663

Allergy & Immunology

Barbara L. Deuell, M.D.

Allergy Associates of New Hampshire

Portsmouth, (603) 436-7897

Amitha Harish, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire

Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire

Asthma and Allergy

Nashua, (603) 577-3065

John N. Kalliel, M.D.

Manchester Allergy Inc.

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603)

668-6444

Amit Kumar, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire

Asthma and Allergy

Nashua, (603) 577-3065

Kevin Roelofs, M.D.

Allergy Associates of New Hampshire

Portsmouth, (603) 436-7897

Marie-Helene Sajous, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Specialty Care at Bedford Medical Park

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 695-2560

Sarah A. Taylor-Black, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Specialty Care at Bedford

Medical Park

Concord, (603) 695-2560

Cardiac Electrophysiology

Connor Haugh, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.H.R.S.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Speare Memorial Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-6888

Jamie H. Kim, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Michael Mazzini, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 516-4265

Cardiovascular Disease

Steven P. Beaudette, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

St. Joseph Hospital

Manchester, (603)

669-0413

William G. Berndt, M.D.

Exeter Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter Hospital

Exeter, (603) 773-9992

Robert Capodilupo, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603)

669-0413

Wendi Cardeiro, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Cardiology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2039

Adam Chodosh, M.D. Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-6070

Peter Dourdoufis, D.O.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Cardiovascular Care of NH & York York Hospital

Newington, (603) 431-6691

Carl M. Fier, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Cardiovascular Consultants

Manchester, (603) 627-1669

Louis Fink, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Kalyan Ghanta, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Manchester, (603) 629-8288

Gregory M. Goodkin, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 773-9992

Jonathan P. Greenblatt, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Cardiovascular Consultants

Manchester, (603) 627-1669

Stephen Hanlon, M.D., F.A.C.C. Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Kevin F. Kwaku, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-4590

Robert M. Lavery, M.D., F.A.C.C. Elliot Hospital Cardiovascular Consultants

Manchester, (603) 627-1669

Jeffrey T. Lockhart, M.D. Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-6070

Michael E. Metzger, M.D. Appledore Medical Group Strafford Cardiology Associates

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Rochester, (603) 332-1400

Ayesha Nazeer, M.D. Concord Hospital

Laconia, (603) 524-1600

Ernest J. Podrasky Jr, M.D. Exeter Hospital Core Physicians Exeter Hospital

Exeter, (603) 773-9992

Sachin Saksena, M.D. Appledore Medical Group Strafford Cardiology Associates

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Rochester, (603) 332-1400

Steven L. Schwartz, M.D., F.A.C.C. Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Cardiology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2039

Robert Spencer, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6575

Jessica A. Sutherland, M.D. Exeter Hospital Core Physicians Exeter Hospital Exeter, (603) 773-9992

Cynthia C. Taub, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5712

Tong Zhu, M.D., Ph.D. Elliot Hospital Cardiovascular Consultants Manchester, (603) 627-1669

Colon & Rectal Surgery

John V. Flannery Jr., M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Colon and Rectal Surgery of New England

Nashua, (603) 577-3322

Jeffrey R. Harnsberger, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 695-2840

DARTMOUTH HEALTH MEMBERS:

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, Lebanon

Cheshire Medical Center, Keene

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Bedford

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Heater Road, Lebanon

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Lyme

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Nashua

Sara W. Mayo, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8113

Matthew Z. Wilson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8113

Lauren R. Wilson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8113

Critical Care Medicine

Lorenzo Klein, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2000

Dermatology

Denise M. Aaron, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Heater Road

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-3100

Hamad Al Abdulrazzaq, M.D.

Adult & Pediatric Dermatology, PC

Emerson Health

Catholic Medical Center

Lowell General Hospital

Manchester, (603) 626-7546

Anthony J. Aversa, M.D.

Northeast Dermatology Associates

Concord, (978) 691-5690

James G. Dinulos, M.D.

Seacoast Dermatology, PLLC

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5205

R. David Gordon, M.D. Seacoast Dermatology, PLLC

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5205

Robert A. Guardiano, D.O. Cheshire Medical Center Keene, (603) 354-6647

Kent S. Handfield, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Adult & Pediatric Dermatology, PC Wolfeboro, (603) 569-3376

Sarit Itenberg, D.O. Northeast Dermatology Associates

Bedford, (978) 691-5690

Michael D. Lichter, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Nashua Dermatology Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 579-9648

Mollie A. MacCormack, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Skin Surgery and Dermatology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 883-8311

Gary W. Mendese, M.D. Dermatology and Skin Health

Dover, (603) 742-5556

Stephen D. Moyer, D.O. Dermatology and Skin Health

Dover, (603) 742-5556

Nicole C. Pace, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Heater Road

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-3102

Jose Emilio Peraza, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Peraza Dermatology Group

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center

Claremont, (603) 542-6455

Robert B. Posnick, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Nashua Dermatology Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 579-9648

Gregory P. Seymour, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6571

Daniel B. Stewart, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 629-8088

Andrew E. Werchniak, M.D. Seacoast Dermatology, PLLC Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 431-5205

Robert J. Willer, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2542

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon

Dartmouth Hitchcock Specialty Care at Bedford Medical Park

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, Windsor, Vermont

New London Hospital, New London

SOLUTION HEALTH MEMBERS:

Southern New Hampshire Health

Elliot Health System

DevelopmentalBehavioral Pediatrics

Nina Sand-Loud, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Lebanon, (603) 653-6060

Diagnostic Radiology

Elizabeth Angelakis, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Catholic Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 668-7096

Michael Ciaschini, M.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 740-2670

Adam Elias, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Catholic Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Monadnock Community Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital

Bedford, (603) 627-1661

David W. Fontaine, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Catholic Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Monadnock Community Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital

Bedford, (603) 627-1661

David Hou, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2850

John J. Januario, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Catholic Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Monadnock Community Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital

Bedford, (603) 627-1661

Todd A. Noce, D.O.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2850

John G. Pierce, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Catholic Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Monadnock Community Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital

Bedford, (603) 627-1661

Shawn Rayder, M.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 740-2670

Kevin Y. Rivera-Colon, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Manchester

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Concord

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Manchester, (603)

695-2850

Peter Van Der Meer, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-7096

Emergency Medicine

Matthew R. Babineau, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Jessica L. Brooks, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Sarah C. Crockett, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

John A. Curtis Jr, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5400

Kevin M. Curtis, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

E. Paul DeKoning, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Harman S. Gill, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Patricia L. Lanter, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Kendra L. Larkin, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5400

Joseph Leahy, M.D. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2000

Todd D. Morrell, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Colin O’Brien, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2000

Jennifer V. Pope, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Kevin Rankins, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-5300

Kristine M. Reid, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-5300

James T. Noble, M.D. INFECTIOUS DISEASE • Concord Hospital

“When I was four years old, I wanted to be a steam locomotive engineer. By first grade, that changed to a fireman. But my dad was a doctor. By fourth grade, my sights were set on doing this wonderful and complicated profession that I knew almost nothing about.

I took the ‘right classes’ in high school and worked part-time in my dad’s hospital. All through college and medical school, most people presumed that, like him, I would be a cardiologist.

But, in high school I read Paul de Kruif’s ‘Microbe Hunters.’ My imagination was captured by the stories of the doctors who discovered the cause of yellow fever, the vaccine that saved the lives of rabies victims and many others.

During my residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I was a witness to many discoveries about the life-saving potential of correct antibiotic choices. When given the opportunity to train in infectious diseases at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, I, of course, took it. As a result of convergence of the AIDS pandemic and the end of my formal training in 1982, the course of my next 20 years was set. Practicing in Dorchester, Massachusetts, acting as clinical director of the first comprehensive New York State AIDS treatment unit at Stony Brook and then spending 14 years back at Tufts as an AIDS clinician, team leader and teacher was everything I had dreamed my chosen specialty would be.

Still, remember when I was four? I spent every summer with my nuclear and extended family in New Hampshire. I had thought of settling here at every transition in my life. When Concord Hospital offered me a job in 2002, I accepted without a second thought.

From 2002 to 2019, my exciting and rewarding infectious disease practice in Concord saw me caring for a diverse group of patients, helping a wonderful group of colleagues care for their patients with infections and making a home where I always wanted to be. But pandemics weren’t done with me yet. I was called to our emergency department in January 2020 to see a young woman with a cough who had just returned fromWuhan, China. The next two and a half years seem like a blur. The strains placed on the system, and especially on the people working at the bedside, will be felt for years to come.

The past three years of COVID have more than affirmed the choice I made so many years ago.”

Christopher E. Allen, MD FAMILY MEDICINE

Mark J. Aronson, DO FAMILY MEDICINE

Kyle T. Baron, MD FAMILY MEDICINE

Teri Lee Brehio, MD FAMILY MEDICINE

Ann C. Cabot, DO NEUROLOGY

Patrick J. Casey, MD SPORTS MEDICINE

Adam Chodosh, MD CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Paul R. Clark, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE

Carolyn S. Crosby, MD FAMILY MEDICINE

Scott J. Fabozzi, MD UROLOGY

Erin S. Fogel, MD OPHTHALMOLOGY

Eliot D. Foley, MD OPHTHALMOLOGY

Stephen J. Fox, MD ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

Top Docs 2023

Heidi Hallonquist, MD OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Courtney B. Jones, MD OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Matthew F. Kamil, MD ENDOCRINOLOGY

Amichai D. Kilchevsky, MD UROLOGY

Jeffrey T. Lockhart, MD CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Su K. Metcalfe, MD RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Robert E. Mitchell, MD UROLOGY

Anthony V. Mollano, MD HAND SURGERY

Shahab Moossavi, MD INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

Ayesha Nazeer, MD CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

James T. Noble, MD INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Richard J. O’Brien Jr., MD FAMILY MEDICINE

David C. Picard, MD PULMONARY DISEASE

Robert D. Rix, MD EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Bryan P. Rowe, MD RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Michele G. Rush, MD SLEEP MEDICINE

William F. Santis, MD UROLOGY

Tajammul Shafique, MD GENERAL SURGERY

Thomas A. Sheldon, MD RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Tamara L. Shilling, DO FAMILY MEDICINE

Hoke H. Shirley, MD RHEUMATOLOGY

Wayne K. Stadelmann, MD PLASTIC SURGERY

Leslie Suranyi Jr., MD NEUROLOGY

Veronica Triaca, MD UROGYNECOLOGY

Tanja VanderLinde, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE

David A. Weinberg, MD OPHTHALMOLOGY

Christopher M. Weinmann, MD GENERAL SURGERY

Congratulations to our Top Doctors for being recognized by your peers.

PEDIATRIC SURGERY • Elliot Hospital • Manchester, (603) 663-8393

“It is a privilege to help improve children’s health and to make long-standing relationships with families. Children are amazingly resilient, and we find ways to make each other laugh. I truly enjoy caring for these young patients.

Pediatric surgery is humbling and constantly changing. After being in practice for over nine years, I continue to learn innovative techniques and new practices to minimize pain and perform procedures with less invasive methods.

The Nuss procedure is one of the procedures I perform at The Elliot. This is an operation to correct pectus excavatum — a condition in which the sternum of the chest is caved in. Patients have traditionally experienced a lot of pain after this operation. In 2018, The Elliot was the first hospital in New Hampshire to start using cryoanalgesia to care for patients. Cryoanalgesia temporarily numbs nerves in the chest to reduce pain and significantly reduce the use of narcotics. In 2022, I began offering cryoanalgesia to our pediatric patients who undergo the Nuss procedure. Seeing our patients feel better after surgery and able to return to their playful selves sooner has been exceptionally rewarding, and one of the many reasons I chose this specialty.

I am grateful to be part of a team that continues to be transformative in pediatric surgery. I work with a wonderful group of pediatric specialists at The Elliot — pediatric surgeons, pediatric emergency physicians, pediatric hospitalists, neonatologists, pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric gastroenterologists, just to name a few — and we all have a common goal to provide the best possible care to families throughout our community. It really is a special group of people with great chemistry working together to provide a high level of care for generations of patients, and for those yet to come.”

Robert D. Rix, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 225-2711

Scott W. Rodi, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Matthew Roginski, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

James C. Suozzi, D.O.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5400

Brett Sweeney, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2000

Susan B. Varga, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Sadia Ashraf, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Endocrinology Associates

Bedford, (603) 663-3740

Sushela S. Chaidarun, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8630

Ellie Chuang, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire

Diabetes and Endocrinology

Elliot Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-5760

Pallavi Guddeti, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Manchester

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 645-6401

Nneka Iroka, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Endocrinology Associates

Bedford, (603) 663-3740

Matthew F. Kamil, M.D.

Concord Endocrinology

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 230-5645

Nicola Kreglinger, M.D.

Chesire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6570

Paul T. Labinson, D.O.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire

Diabetes and Endocrinology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-5760

Mini Mahata, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Stratham, (603) 926-1119

Mikhail Signalov, D.O.

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 881-7141

Robert J. Silver, M.D., F.A.C.E.

Southern New Hampshire

Diabetes and Endocrinology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-5760

Sue A. Taylor, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Dover, (603) 742-1143

Family Medicine

Christopher E. Allen, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Laconia, (603) 736-6200

Adam Androlia, D.O.

DMC Primary Care

Bedford, (603) 537-1300

Mark J. Aronson, D.O.

Concord Hospital

Laconia, (603) 527-2969

J. Bryan Bannister, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Bedford, (603) 537-1300

Kyle T. Baron, M.D.

Concord Hospital Primary Care

Meredith, (603) 279-7433

Anne Barry, D.O.

DMC Primary Care

Windham, (603) 537-1300

Lydia Bennett, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Bedford, (603) 537-1300

Maria Boylan, D.O.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Family Medicine

Bedford, (833) 920-7473

Teri L. Brehio, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Hillsboro, (603) 464-3434

Annika M. Brown, D.O.

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 448-3122

Joann Buonomano, M.D.

Goodwin Community Health

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 749-2346

Timothy E. Burdick, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Heater Road

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-4000

Maureen E. Cashman, M.D.

Appledore Medical Group

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Rochester, (603) 335-2401

Mayumi Chatani-Hinze, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Nashua

Nashua, (603) 577-4440

Carolyn S. Crosby, M.D.

Concord Hospital Primary Care Meredith

Concord Hospital

Meredith, (603) 279-7433

John P. Daley, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Derry, (603) 537-1300

Valerie J. Danielson, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Family Medicine

Bedford, (833) 920-7473

Kevin M. Donovan, D.O.

Wentworth Health Partners

Adult & Children’s Medicine of Dover

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-2263

Robert R. Dow, D.O.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Primary Care

Londonderry, (603) 552-1400

Douglas R. Dreffer, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Derry, (603) 537-1300

Cristi M. Egenolf, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Derry, (603) 537-1300

David V. Ferris, D.O.

Ammonoosuc Community Health Services

Littleton, (603) 444-2464

James F. Fitzgerald, M.D.

DMC Primary Care

Bedford, (603) 537-1300

John Edward Ford, M.D.

Weeks Medical Center

Whitefield, (603) 788-5095

Rachel Franchi-Winters, D.O.

Amoskeag Health

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 626-9500

William E. Hassett, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Dover Family Practice

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-3174

Scott C. Jaynes, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Heater Road

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-4000

Michael F. Kasschau, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6760

Timothy G. Keenan, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Stratham, (603) 775-0000

Karolyn Lee, M.D., F.C.F.P., F.A.A.F.P.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Primary Care

Londonderry, (603) 552-1400

Michelle S. Mancherje, M.D. Wentworth Health Partners

Dover Family Practice

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-3174

Dr. Meghna V. Misra, M.S., F.A.C.S.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR CORE PHYSICIANS WHO WERE NAMED “TOP DOCS” THIS YEAR

These physicians are representative of the excellent providers throughout Core Physicians’ primary, pediatric and specialty care network. Together, we provide comprehensive, patient-centered care throughout the Seacoast.

Alexandra Bonesho, MD Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

John Brennan, MD Core Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

William Berndt, MD Core Cardiology

Roderick Bruno, MD Core Orthopedics

A. Neil Clerk, MD Core Orthopedics

Paul Deranian, MD Core Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

Eileen Forrest, MD Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

Gregory Goodkin, MD Core Cardiology

Peter Ihm, MD Core Otolaryngology & Audiology

Kristen Johnson, MD Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

Jennifer Jones, MD Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

Cullen Jumper, MD Core Urology

Timothy Keenan, MD Core Physicians, Family Medicine

Daniel Kunz, DO Core Rheumatology

Steven Loh, MD Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

Mini Mahata, MD Core Endocrinology

Thomas McGovern, MD Core Orthopedics

Michael Pangan, MD Core Physicians, Family Medicine

Ernest Podrasky, MD Core Cardiology

Mark Reeder, MD Core Physicians, Family Medicine

Jessica Sutherland, MD Core Cardiology

Jay Swett, MD, FACS Core General Surgery

Daniel Zipin, DO Core Physiatry & Spine Care

From Our Award Winning Family to Yours

Thank you for trusting us with your OB-GYN care since 1982

Dr. Colleen Barber

“I choose OB-GYN because I love the variety of patient care experiences it offers – from developing long-standing relationships with women in the office setting to sharing in a family’s birth story, to guiding a patient through surgery and post operative recovery.”

Dr. Adili Shay

“My goal is to provide compassionate care that is tailored to an individual’s need. I love building a relationship with patients and listening to their concerns.”

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

See why our patients call us family. Call or visit us online to schedule today.

www.BCOG.com (603) 688-8400

Dr. Danielle Albushies

“The experience of giving birth to a child never gets routine for me. I get to spend a lot of time getting to know a family through the labor process which is awesome. It’s a privilege to be there with families to celebrate ‘birth-days’.”

Dr. Lara Hanlon

“Women are coming to meet to discuss the most intimate details of their life, including the most exciting and sometimes their most difficult times. I want my patients to feel like they are at home here. By opening my heart to people, I think that patients feel more comfortable opening up to me.”

Dr. Lisbeth Murphy

“I think we have something really unique at Bedford Commons OB-GYN – we all work really well together. Even though we are big, we want to keep the small practice feel. This community of physicians and patients are my family away from my family.”

Dr. Jennifer Weidner

“It’s important to me to make sure that patients feel comfortable when they come in. I believe that the patient is an active participant in making a decision about her healthcare and I am there to help her guide that decision.”

Dr. Monica Chun

“Even after delivering babies for over 15 years, it still amazes me every time I deliver a baby. It’s like experiencing a miracle every time. And the strength of women, oh my. I feel absolutely blessed that I get to do this.”

Dr. Kristen Bannister

“I build trust with patients by meeting them where they are at, being open to what they have to say and really getting to know each person as an individual. I know a lot of what we talk about in the gynecology office is uncomfortable and nothing is more important to me than making my patient feel like she can share.”

Dr. Marc Leclair

“Developing a relationship with my patients helps me understand what their priorities are in their healthcare. Every patient has different opinions about what really matters to them and it’s my job to listen to these and provide evidence based advice.”

Dr. Polyxeni Rounds (Retired)

“I love to know what my patients’ interests are and what they do outside of work and school. I think this makes the relationship comfortable and makes it easier to discuss more personal concerns. Knowing my patients through the years as their lives change is a gift.”

Dr. Fletcher Wilson

“I really focus on each patient as an individual, taking into account their personal beliefs and concerns, while addressing their needs in the most effective way possible.”

Dr. Kristine Henneberry

“One of the most rewarding parts of being an OB-GYN is the ability to care for women at every stage of their lives. Delivering care and building relationships as their health needs change over time is very important to me.”

Top Docs 2023

Adrian J. Thomas, M.D.

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

“When I finished medical school in 2004, health care was easy. Treating patients was a one-on-one business where patients and doctors got to know each other. The relationship was personal and treatments plans were a collaborative effort. We were in it together fighting for the same cause.

In 2023, health care is hard. Insurance companies getting in between patients and doctors have made it hard. Increasing cost of insurance and the services it supposedly provides have made it hard. Skyrocketing prescription drug costs have made it hard. All of these, along with many other hurdles, have made health care harder for both doctors and patients.

What keeps me practicing is trying to figure out how to make practicing medicine easy again. Every doctor on this list works hard every single day trying to recreate the doctor-patient relationship that once was the pillar of our profession. This list is a tribute to doctors who, despite all the obstacles in their way, are running through the 2023 health care gauntlet to put patients first. So if you ask what keeps me practicing medicine, I’d tell you it’s the drive to go into battle for my patients and get them the care they deserve.”

Leah G. Matthew, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Heater Road

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-4000

Mary F. Merkel, D.O.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Merrimack

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Merrimack, (603) 440-7722

Richard J. O’Brien Jr, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Belmont, (603) 528-0990

Steven T. Olive, M.D.

Martin’s Point Health Care

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5154

Michael A. Pangan, M.D.

Exeter Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 775-0000

Douglas Phelan, D.O.

DMC Primary Care

Windham, (603) 537-1300

David Reall, M.D. Alton Family Medicine

Huggins Hospital

Alton, (603) 875-6151

Andrew G. Tremblay, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene Family Medicine

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6758

Michael B. Watto, D.O.

Speare Memorial Hospital

Speare Primary Care

Plymouth, (603) 536-1881

Katharine L. Wetherbee, D.O.

DMC Primary Care

Londonderry, (603) 537-1300

Gastroenterology

Vincent Aguirre, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 314-6900

Jack T. Bueno, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-4081

Christopher N. Dainiak, M.D.

Granite State GI Consultants

Parkland Medical Center

Catholic Medical Center

Derry, (603) 432-8802

Aristotle J. Damianos, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 433-2488

Roger M. Epstein, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 433-2488

Timothy B. Gardner, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5261

Leyla J. Ghazi, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1763

Stuart R. Gordon, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5261

Andrew C. Gorske, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6515

Marylyn V. Grondin, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Dmitriy Kedrin, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 314-6900

L. Campbell Levy, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5261

Jennifer M. Lewis, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 692-2228

Sean P. Lynch, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 692-2228

William E. Maher, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 692-2228

Trinh B. Meyer, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2840

Srikrishna Nagri, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-4081

Scott Oosterveen, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Concord Hospital

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1763

Matthew J. Rockacy, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6515

Richard I. Rothstein, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5261

Robert A. Ruben, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 692-2228

Samuel C. Somers, M.D.

GI Associates of New Hampshire Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1763

Robert D. Thomson, M.D.

GI Associates of New Hampshire

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1763

Geriatric Medicine

Samuel J. Goldman, D.O. Catholic Medical Center

Senior Health Primary Care

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-7030

Sung E. Jang, M.D. Elliot Hospital Elliot Family Medicine

Bedford, (833) 920-7473

Gynecologic Oncology

Ilana E. Cass, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-3525

Evelyn Fleming, M.D. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Loyd A. West, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Hand Surgery

Paul C. Bettinger, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5454

Roderick Bruno, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 777-1000

Crawford C. Campbell, M.D. Essex Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Holy Family Hospital Parkland Medical Center Salem, (603) 898-2244

Robert E. Eberhart, M.D. Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Robert J. Heaps, M.D. New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center

Mark Reeder, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Kingston, (603) 642-3910

Tamara L. Shilling, D.O.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-7200

Michael F. Thompson, M.D.

Goodwin Community Health

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 749-2346

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 433-2488

Hampton, (603) 758-1717

Brian Hyett, M.D.

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 433-2488

Michael R. Kaczanowski, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Gastroenterology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-5355

Timothy D. Scherer, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2500

Corey A. Siegel, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5261

Mark J. Silversmith, M.D.

Catholic Medical Center Bedford, (603) 665-2470

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 883-0091

Nicholas J. Horangic, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 695-2830

Anthony V. Mollano, M.D.

Concord Orthopaedics

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3368

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY • Elliot Hospital / New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Top Docs 2023

Jennifer M. Lewis, M.D.

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Atlantic Digestive Specialists

Somersworth, (603) 692-2228

“I am pleased to be a part of the New Hampshire medical community and feel especially fortunate to have joined a practice of GI physicians at Atlantic Digestive Specialists, who set the standard for excellent gastroenterological care. My interest in gastroenterology was kindled when I was in medical school. I was fascinated by the pathology seen during endoscopy and knew then that I wanted to dedicate my life to this discipline. I enjoy helping people understand their gastroenterological issues and finding the best solution for them.”

H. Matthew Quitkin, M.D., M.B.A.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Jinsong Wang, M.D., Ph.D. New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Salem, (603) 898-0180

Hematology

Elizabeth M. Bengtson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth

Cancer Center

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5529

Archana Bhargava, M.D.

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Center for Cancer Care and Hematology

Rochester, (603) 335-8490

Frederick M. Briccetti, M.D.

New Hampshire

Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital

Elliot Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-2556

Marc Gautier, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5747

Kenneth Meehan, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth

Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-4628

Hospice & Palliative Medicine

Linda Kornfeld, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Center for Palliative Care

Manchester, (603) 663-4023

Lisa A. Leinau, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5400

Sarah J. Macduffie, D.O.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 740-3330

Donald B. McDonah, M.D.

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 882-3000

Charles S. Mills, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Center for Palliative Care

Manchester, (603) 663-4023

Infectious Disease

Nida Arif, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine

Elliot Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Merrimack, (603) 429-1611

Michael S. Calderwood, M.D., M.P.H.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-6060

Roma L. Cruz-King, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Merrimack, (603) 429-1611

Alexander Granok, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Infectious Disease

Associates & Travel Medicine

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Merrimack, (603) 429-1611

James T. Noble, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 230-1939

Geetika Sharma, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine

Elliot Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Merrimack, (603) 429-1611

Internal Medicine

Pamela S. Ali, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Internal Medicine

Bedford, (603) 314-6500

Paul R. Clark, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-4003

Joseph P. Cunniff, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Londonderry Internal Medicine

Londonderry, (603) 434-1919

Gus G. Emmick, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Riverside

Hooksett, (603) 641-5386

Sarah H. Finn, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Bedford

Weight and Wellness Center

Bedford, (603) 629-8144

John J. Fothergill, M.D.

North Country Medical & Wellness

Colebrook, (603) 331-0500

Andrea H. Greenfeld, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Internal Medicine

Bedford, (603) 314-6500

Virginia Hassett, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 609-6800

Heather L. Marks, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2600

Interventional Cardiology

Jeffrey F. Bleakley, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Paul Boffetti, M.D.

Foundation Cardiology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2039

Jonathan Bridges, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Cardiovascular Care of NH and York York Hospital

Newington, (603) 431-6691

Jeffrey Colnes, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Cardiovascular Care of NH and York

Todd Mellish, D.O.

Southern New Hampshire

Internal Medicine Associates

Bedford, (603) 216-0400

Kevin Y. Pho, M.D.

St. Joseph Hospital

Primary and Specialty Care

Nashua, (603) 891-4500

Donald E. Reape, M.D.

St. Joseph Hospital

Primary and Specialty Care

Nashua, (603) 891-4500

Andrew R. Rosen, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Primary Care Londonderry, (603) 552-1400

Pamela R. Schultze, M.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 609-6800

Kevin A. Silva, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Littleton Regional Hospital

Littleton, (603) 444-2002

Lijun Song, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2600

Vijaya Upadrasta, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2600

Tanja VanderLinde, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-4003

Salvatore J. Vella Jr, D.O.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Downtown Medical Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-3300

Craig P. Widness, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Riverside

Hooksett, (603) 641-5386

Maternal & Fetal Medicine

Emily R. Baker, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

E. Rebecca Pschirrer, M.D., M.P.H.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Michelle A. Russell, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300 Medical Oncology

Cherif Abdelmalek, M.D. Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Hematology/ Oncology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 886-7900

York Hospital

Newington, (603) 431-6691

James DeVries, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Cheshire Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5724

James M. Flynn, M.D., F.A.C.C.,

F.S.C.A.I.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Parkland Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Fahad S. Gilani, M.D., F.A.C.C.,

F.S.C.A.I.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

Stephan Heo, M.D., F.A.A.C.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

John E. Jayne, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5724

Johny Kuttab, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Cardiovascular Consultants

Manchester, (603) 627-1669

Shahab Moossavi, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord Hospital – Laconia & Franklin

Concord, (603) 224-6070

Christopher T. Pyne, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Cardiology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2039

Michael N. Young, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5724

Michael S. Buff, M.D. New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 622-6484

Nancy Chun, M.D. Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Hematology/ Oncology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 886-7900

Peter H. Crow, M.D. New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital Concord, (603) 622-6484

Gina M. DiVenuti, M.D. New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital Concord, (603) 622-6484

Konstantin Dragnev, M.D. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-6272

Kathryn C. Hourdequin, M.D. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-9474

Gautami S. Rao, M.D. Southern New Hampshire Health Foundation Hematology/ Oncology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Massachusetts General Hospital

Nashua, (603) 886-7900

Gary N. Schwartz, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-6181

Meredith J. Selleck, M.D. New Hampshire

Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital Concord, (603) 622-6484

We are proud to recognize our 2023 Top Doctors from Elliot Health System and Southern NH Health.

Thank you for your commitment to your patients, colleagues, and our community in the face of unprecedented challenges.

View the entire list at: SolutionHealth.org/TopDocs2023

Top Docs 2023

Prashant Shankar, M.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Cancer Center

Dover, (603) 742-8787

Keisuke Shirai, M.D., MSc.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-6432

Danny M. Sims, M.D.

New Hampshire

Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 622-6484

Zachary S. Spigelman, M.D.

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

Lahey Center for Oncology and Hematology at Parkland-Derry

Parkland Medical Center

Derry, (603) 537-2060

Jeanna Walsh, M.D.

New Hampshire

Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 622-6484

Douglas Jay Weckstein, M.D.

New Hampshire

Oncology-Hematology

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 622-6484

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

James E. Gray, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Catholic Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-6063

Steven A. Ringer, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Catholic Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-6063

Nephrology

Kulli M. Barrett, M.D.

Seacoast Kidney & Hypertension Specialists

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-3433

Peter Cheung, M.D.

Nephrology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 641-5800

Michael Casimir Danielski, M.D.

Seacoast Kidney & Hypertension Specialists

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-3433

Sean W. Fitzpatrick, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire

Nephrology and Hypertension

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-5377

David S. Friedenberg, D.O.

Nephrology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 641-5800

Maryam Gul, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6622

Sucharit Joshi, M.D.

Seacoast Kidney & Hypertension Specialists

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-3433

Shiv Kumar, M.D.

Seacoast Kidney & Hypertension Specialists

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-3433

Naresh Matta, M.D.

Seacoast Kidney & Hypertension Specialists

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-3433

Kevin B. Meyer, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2640

Krupa S. Rajur, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Health

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire

Nephrology and Hypertension

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-5377

Ana Stankovic, M.D.

Parkland Medical Center

Center for Kidney and Metabolic Disorders

Salem, (603) 890-2771

Neurological Surgery

Katharine M. Cronk, M.D., Ph.D. Foundation Neurosurgery

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2663

Neal Luther, M.D.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

Hulda B. Magnadottir, M.D.

Upper Valley Neurology Neurosurgery

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 448-0447

Henry F. Pallatroni III, M.D.

Appledore Medical Group

Coastal New Hampshire Neurosurgeons

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 433-4666

Harold J. Pikus, M.D.

Upper Valley Neurology Neurosurgery

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 448-0447

Nathan E. Simmons, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5109

Heather C. Killie, M.D.

ORTHOPAEDIC

SURGERY

Catholic Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center

Nashua, (603) 883-0091

“With only 7.4 percent of orthopedic surgeons being female, there have been hurdles to maneuver throughout my career. Being a partner at the New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (NHOC) has not been one of them. Being voted as a top doctor in New Hampshire is an honor. My approach to medicine is to treat people how I would want myself and my family to be treated. The best compliments I hear from my patients are, ‘I wish you could be my primary care doctor,’ and, ‘You inspired me to be a doctor.’ I will continue to strive to be the best doctor and surgeon I can be for this great state.”

Paul P. Wang, M.D.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

Neurology

Ann C. Cabot, D.O.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-6691

Khosro Farhad, M.D. Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

Dover, (603) 749-0913

Jason Fleming, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Elliot Neurology Associates

Manchester, (603) 663-4800

Valerie E. Gendron, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6511

Barbara C. Jobst, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5104

Ana G. Lizama, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Elliot Neurology Associates

Manchester, (603) 663-4800

Keith J. McAvoy, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2940

Aleksandra C. Stark, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5104

Geoffrey Starr, M.D.

Androscoggin Valley Hospital

Weeks Medical Center

Berlin, (603) 752-2300

Leslie Suranyi Jr, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Laconia, (603) 524-5151

Vijay M. Thadani, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5104

Rebecca J. Thompson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5104

Gary D. Usher, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 749-0913

Roya Vakili, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2940

Neuroradiology

Rihan Khan, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Corey N. Sides, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Manchester, (603) 228-1521

Nuclear Medicine

Jeffrey B. Mendel, M.D. Parkland Medical Center

Salem Radiology

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Salem, (603) 890-2800

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Danielle Albushies, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Rebecca Banaski, D.O.

Wentworth Health Partners

Garrison Women’s Health

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-0101

Kristen L. Bannister, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Colleen M. Barber, M.D.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 668-8400

Valerie A. Bell, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-4300

Julie A. Braga, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Monica J. Chun, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1111

Mark A. Conway, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 883-3365

Jennifer M. Donofrio, M.D.

Manchester OB-GYN Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3162

Jillian K. Dulac, M.D.

Manchester OB-GYN Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3162

Rebecca H. Evans, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Heather Feltmate, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-4300

Timothy J. Fisher, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9300

Heidi Hallonquist, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 228-1111

Lara C. Hanlon, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Bedford Commons OB-GYN Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Kristine Henneberry, D.O. Bedford Commons OB-GYN Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 668-8400

Courtney B. Jones, M.D. Concord Hospital Concord, (603) 228-1111

Janine Keever, M.D.

Amherst Obstetrics & Gynecology Southern New Hampshire Medical Center Amherst, (603) 577-7971

Marc F. Leclair, M.D. Bedford Commons OB-GYN Elliot Hospital Catholic Medical Center Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Kelly M. MacMillan, M.D. St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 883-3365

Melissa Martinez-Adorno, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Women’s Care of Nashua

Nashua, (603) 577-3100

Karen K. Maynard, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Women’s Care of Nashua

Nashua, (603) 577-3100

Heidi Meinz, M.D. Manchester OB-GYN Associates Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3162

Deborah A. Mueller, M.D. Huggins Hospital

Wolfeboro Women’s Health Wolfeboro, (603) 569-7585

Top Docs 2023

Khosro Farhad, M.D. NEUROLOGY

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

Wentworth Health Partners

Coastal Neurology Services Dover, (603) 749-0913

“I am a neurologist with subspecialty training, board certification and expertise in treating patients with peripheral neuropathy and autonomic disorders. I work at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (WDH) and also Massachusetts General Hospital. I have established the peripheral neuropathy and autonomic disorder center at WDH and provide testing for diagnosis of these patients with nerve conduction studies, electromyography, skin biopsy for confirmation of the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy and performing autonomic function testing to evaluate patients for autonomic disorders. I am motivated to treat patients with these disorders because there are not many colleagues in the field of neurology treating these patients. I have tried to enhance the knowledge about this underserved field of neurology among providers in the New England area and nationally through different medical education conferences and lectures. In addition to providing clinical care for these patients, I also participate in research in this area as a faculty of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. My goal is to improve the quality of life for these patients and help to prevent long-term disability.”

Lisbeth A. Murphy, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Joshua M. Nathan, M.D.

Manchester OB-GYN Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3162

Sonja Nelson, M.D.

Harbour Women’s Health

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-6011

Polyxeni S. Rounds, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Adili L. Shay, M.D.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 668-8400

Brenna Corbett Stapp, D.O.

Manchester OB-GYN Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3162

Jennifer Weidner, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Fletcher R. Wilson, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Bedford Commons OB-GYN

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 668-4646

Occupational Medicine

Phillip B. Collins, M.D. Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 448-7459

Ophthalmology

Claudia Bartolini, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision

Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

Kinley Beck, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision

Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

Timothy D. Blake, M.D.

Nashua Eye Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 882-9800

Anthony J. Correnti, M.D.

New Hampshire Eye Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-3925

Sonalee M. Desai-Bartoli, M.D.

Nashua Eye Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 882-9800

Janine R. Eagle, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5123

Maxwell D. Elia, M.D.

The Medical Eye Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 668-2020

Ahad A. Fazelat, M.D.

The Medical Eye Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 668-2020

Erin S. Fogel, M.D.

Concord Eye Center

Concord, (603) 224-2020

Eliot D. Foley, M.D. Concord Eye Center

Concord, (603) 224-2020

Andrew Marc Garfinkle, M.D., Ph.D.

Laconia Eye & Laser Center

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Gilford, (603) 524-2020

Warren Goldblatt, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision

Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

Jason A. Hall, M.D.

The Medical Eye Center

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 668-2020

Amy L. Hennessy, M.D.

The Medical Eye Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 668-2020

Newton T. Peters, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Clear Advantage Vision

Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 436-1773

Patrick Joseph Riddle, M.D.

Nashua Eye Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 882-9800

Erin M. Salcone, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5123

Douglas R. Scott, M.D.

Laconia Eye & Laser Center

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Gilford, (603) 524-2020

George J. Shaker, M.D.

The Medical Eye Center Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 668-2020

Timothy Sullivan, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

Marsha Kavanagh, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision

Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

Richard J. Lasonde, M.D.

Excellent Vision

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 430-5225

David P. Lawlor, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5123

Vasilios P. Lazos, D.O.

New Hampshire Eye Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-3925

Kimberly Licciardi, M.D.

New Hampshire Eye Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-3925

Donald M. Miller, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5123

Paul S. Musco, M.D.

Speare Memorial Hospital

White Mountain Eye Care

Plymouth, (603) 536-1284

Purak Parikh, M.D.

Nashua Eye Associates

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 882-9800

Eric R. Benson, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Daniel P. Bouvier, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center St. Joseph Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Parkland Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 883-0091

Avnish N. Clerk, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 777-1000

Jeffrey Clingman, M.D.

Advanced Orthopaedics

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Gilford, (603) 522-6163

Marcus P. Coe, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Glen D. Crawford, M.D. Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Mark C. Cullen, M.D.

Lucian Szmyd Jr, M.D.

Clear Advantage Vision Correction Center & Eyesight

Ophthalmic Services

Portsmouth Regional Hospital Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 436-1773

David A. Weinberg, M.D.

Concord Eye Center

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-2020

Melissa M. Wong, M.D.

New Hampshire Eye Associates

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 669-3925

Michael E. Zegans, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5123

Orthopaedic Surgery

Uri Michael Ahn, M.D.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

James B. Ames, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Eric Arvidson, M.D.

Essex Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Holy Family Hospital Parkland Medical Center

Salem, (603) 898-2244

John-Erik Bell, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 742-2007

Alexander D. Davis, M.D.

Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics

Portsmouth, (603) 431-3575

Robert F. Davis, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Bone and Joint Center

Nashua, (603) 577-2663

Kevin W. Dwyer, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

New London Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Frances D. Faro, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

New London Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Stephen J. Fox, M.D.

Concord Orthopaedics

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3368

Mark J. Geppert, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 742-2007

Ida Leah Gitajn, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Top Docs 2023

Ricardo A. Gonzales, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

Douglas M. Goumas, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Catholic Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire

Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Eric R. Henderson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Cherie Holmes, M.D., M.Sc.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5482

Heather C. Killie, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Catholic Medical Center

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 883-0091

Bryan Lawless, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

Gregory Leather, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5482

Glenn S. Lieberman, M.D.

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Gilford, (603) 522-6163

Timothy J. Lin, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Thomas F. McGovern, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 777-1000

Kevin J. McGuire, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

New London Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-2225

Marc J. Michaud, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Wayne E. Moschetti, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Mayo Noerdlinger, M.D., F.A.A.O.S.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Jason A. Oliviero, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 695-2830

Alexander R. Orem, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Gifford Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Robert C. Parisien, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

Ira M. Parsons, M.D.

The Knee, Hip & Shoulder Center

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5858

Adam M. Pearson, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-2225

Anthony H. Presutti, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5482

Akhilesh Sastry, M.D.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Paul Scibetta Jr, D.O. Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

Mark B. Silbey, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5482

Gregory W. Soghikian, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Mary-Lee Sole, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

Michael B. Sparks, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

William S. Sutherland, M.D.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Adrian J. Thomas, M.D.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

Benjamin Michael Thompson, M.D.

Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Dover, (603) 842-4289

David C. Thut, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 742-2007

James C. Vailas, M.D.

New Hampshire

Orthopaedic Center

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 883-0091

Lance G. Warhold, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5133

Gavin R. Webb, M.D. Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Somersworth, (603) 742-2007

Tyler P. Welch, M.D.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Otolaryngology

James P. Bartels, M.D.

Bartels Facial Rejuvenation

Bedford, (603) 656-2105

Eunice Y. Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

Peter Soon Ihm, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 772-8208

Keith Jorgensen, M.D.

Parkland Medical Center

Derry, (603) 432-8104

Christopher Knox, D.O. Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 772-8208

Joseph A. Paydarfar, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

James E. Saunders, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

Sarah S. Seo, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

Mark C. Smith, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

Andrew R. Spector, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3623

Jeffrey M. Zimmerman, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 622-3623

Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery

Benoit J. Gosselin, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8123

Pain Medicine

Mark A. Horton, M.D. Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-5454

George B. Lantz, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Manchester, (603) 629-8020

James A. Mirazita, M.D.

Pain Solutions

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Nashua, (603) 577-3003

Praveen Suchdev, M.D.

Pain Solutions

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Nashua, (603) 577-3003

Pathology

John P. Bissonnette, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Pathology Specialists of New England at SNHMC

Manchester, (603) 663-2583

Anil K. Dewan, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Pathology Specialists of New England at SNHMC

Manchester, (603) 663-2583

James Samuel Smoot, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Pathology Specialists of New England at SNHMC

Manchester, (603) 663-2583

Arief A. Suriawinata, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-7211

Karen N. Wu, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Hospital

Pathology Specialists of New England at SNHMC

Manchester, (603) 663-2583

Pediatric Allergy & Immunology

Robert W. Hickey, M.D. Allergy Associates of New Hampshire

Portsmouth, (603) 436-7897

Pediatric Cardiology

Christopher J. Clarke, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Darmouth Health Children’s

Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Jenifer Glatz, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Darmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Thomas B. Johnson, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Darmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Pediatric Dermatology

Julianne A. Mann, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Lebanon, (603) 650-3100

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Maia S. Rutman, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Lebanon, (603) 650-7254

Pediatric Endocrinology

Robert C. Gensure, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Darmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2790

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Amer Al-Nimr, M.D.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9666

Anthony H. Repucci, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Darmouth Health Children’s Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Julie L. Sanville, D.O.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9666

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Julie Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Cancer Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5541

Pediatric Nephrology

Matthew M. Hand, D.O.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Darmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Pediatric Pulmonology

Scott A. Schroeder, M.D.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9884

Top Docs 2023

Pediatric Surgery

Daniel P. Croitoru, M.D.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9883

Meghna V. Misra, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-8393

Elizabeth S. Soukup, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-8393

Pediatrics

Thomas M. Albushies, M.D.

Concord Pediatrics

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-1929

Alexandra D. Bonesho, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Epping, (603) 693-2100

Candice L. Camacho, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Pediatrics of Nashua

Nashua, (603) 594-6337

Charles T. Cappetta, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Darmouth Health Children’s

Nashua, (603) 577-4400

Mark D. Carney, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 226-6100

Leslie S. Dick, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Concord, (603) 226-6100

Danielle L. Dunetz, D.O., F.A.A.P.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 891-0083

Eileen Forrest, M.D. Core Physicians Exeter Hospital

Epping, (603) 658-1823

Matthew J. Hajduk, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics at Windham Windham, (603) 685-0150

Marc A. Hofley, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Manchester, (603) 695-2745

Nancy S. Husarik, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Raymond Raymond, (603) 895-8000

Kristen C. Johnson, M.D. Core Physicians Exeter Hospital

Stratham, (603) 693-2100

Jennifer L. Jones, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Epping, (603) 693-2100

Gregory Kaupp, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.P.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 594-6337

Rebecca E. Pschirrer, M.D., M.P.H.

MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 653-9306

John Klunk, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Raymond

Raymond, (603) 895-8000

Stacey Kopp, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Darmouth Health Children’s

Nashua, (603) 577-4400

We are proud to announce that ten DMC doctors have earned recognition from their peers as New Hampshire’s Top Doctors in Family Medicine. These doctors represent all DMC providers who continually provide the highest quality care to our patients.

Tessa J. LafortuneGreenberg, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Concord, (603) 226-6100

Terri L. Lally, M.D.

Dover Pediatrics

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-4048

Steven P. Loh, M.D.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Stratham, (603) 658-1823

Michele D. Mandel, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics at Windham

Windham, (603) 685-0150

Heather A. Mane, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Londonderry, (603) 552-1400

Lila H. Monahan, M.D., F.A.A.P. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 891-0083

CONGRATULATIONS TOP DOCS!

From left to right:

John Daley, MD, Derry

Jay Bryan Bannister, MD, Bedford

Katharine Wetherbee, DO Londonderry

James Fitzgerald, MD Bedford & Goffstown

Lydia Bennett, MD Bedford (retired)

Eight DMC providers have earned recognition from their peers as New Hampshire’s Top Doctors in family medicine for 2022. They proudly represent the highquality care DMC patients receive from all our providers.

From left to right:

DALEY, MD, Derry

DO,

Anne Barlow Barry, DO, Concord & Windham

Cristi Egenolf, MD Derry

Douglas Dreffer, MD Concord & Derry

Douglas Phelan, DO, Windham

Adam Androlia, DO Bedford & Derry

Always

“Many years ago, when I was a medical student at Dartmouth Medical School, now Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to practice at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center when I finished my training. Being able to work at an a cademic medical center, with medical students, residents, fellows, researchers and brilliant colleagues, is a gift. Doing so in the beautiful state in which we live is the icing on the cake.” Always

*Doctors were photographed individually and brought together through the magic of Photoshop. DMC recommends and follows strict masking protocols.

Top Docs 2023

Mark D. Myers, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics at Bedford

Bedford, (603) 472-5860

Theresa M. Oliveira, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Concord, (603) 226-6100

Andrea Palumbo, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Elliot Pediatrics at Bedford

Bedford, (603) 472-5860

Jessica S. Payton, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6666

Mitchell N. Pivor, M.D.

Lilac City Pediatrics

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Rochester, (603) 335-4522

Todd M. Poret, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Concord

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Concord, (603) 226-6100

Christopher M. Riccio, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Pediatrics of Nashua

Nashua, (603) 594-6337

Donald E. Salvatore, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Doctors Park Pediatrics

Manchester, (603) 663-8300

Andrew J. Schuman, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua

Darmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-4400

Catherine D. Shubkin, M.D.

Dartmouth Health Children’s

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (800) 653-0776

Marni A. Silverstein, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6666

Sandra F. Truebe, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Doctors Park Pediatrics

Manchester, (603) 663-8300

Pamela S. Udomprasert, M.D.

Appledore Medical Group Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Rochester Pediatric Associates Rochester, (603) 332-0238

Linda A. Williams, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center Foundation Pediatrics

Nashua, (603) 594-6030

Hilary A. Yehling, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Raymond Raymond, (603) 895-8000

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Thomas M. Frates, M.D.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Elliot Hospital

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

Barry C. Gendron, D.O.

Seacoast Physiatry

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5529

Aron M. Jeffrey, D.O.

New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute

Bedford, (603) 472-8888

Bruce Myers, M.D. Seacoast Physiatry

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-5529

Daniel S. Zipin, D.O. Exeter Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 777-1000

Plastic Surgery

Cecil W. Bean, M.D. Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital Dover, (603) 516-4268

Steven L. Brown, M.D.

Catholic Medical Center

Bedford, (603) 232-2860

Todd E. Burdette, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 314-6450

Gary L. Freed Jr, M.D., Pharm.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5148

Wayne K. Stadelmann, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-5200

Dale C. Vidal, M.D., M.S.

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 443-9572

Jeremy Waldman, M.D.

Waldman Plastic Surgery & Dermatology

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-5559

Psychiatry

Paul F. Belliveau, M.D.

Coastal Counseling Associates

Exeter, (603) 778-0505

Julia R. Frew, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-7075

Michael D. Kisicki, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-7075

Pulmonary Disease

Haitham Al Ashry, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-3770

Graham T. Atkins, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Copley Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5533

John P. Brennan, M.D. Exeter Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 775-0234

James L. Carroll Jr, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5533

Christopher C. Daigle, M.D., F.C.C.P.

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 228-5935

Paul Deranian, M.D. Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 775-0234

Sunil Dhunna, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-3770

Richard I. Enelow, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5533

Joseph C. Hou, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 645-6407

Amit Joglekar, M.D.

Appledore Medical Group

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Rochester Pulmonary Medicine

Rochester, (603) 335-0909

Brian L. Jones, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5533

Harold Manning, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5533

Vinia Madonna C. Menza, D.O., M.D.

Seacoast Pulmonary Medicine

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Dover, (603) 740-9713

Muhammad Mirza, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 663-3770

David C. Picard, M.D. Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 230-5627

Richard N. Read, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 645-6407

Your Imaging Specialists

Thomas Alberico, MD

Elizabeth Angelakis, MD

Karina Bosman, MD

Arash Delshad, MD

Adam Elias, MD

David W. Fontaine, MD

Scott Greenwald, MD

John Januario, MD

Wane Joselow, MD

Christopher Kelley, MD

Young Kwon Kim, MD

Jinho Kim, MD

Bryce Lowrey, MD

Asim Maher, DO

Natalia Marks, MD

Victor Nwokocha, MD

Javier Perez-Rodriguez, MD

John Pierce, MD

Jeffrey Potter, MD

Thomas Rousseau, PA-C

Dan Sheibley, MD

Robert Sprague, MD

Ryan Stephany, PA-C

Peter van der Meer, MD

Vibhor Wadhwa, MD

Betsy Angelakis, MD Peter van der Meer, MD John Janauario, MD

John Pierce, MD David Fontaine, MD Adam Elias, MD

Top Docs 2023

Stephan Heo, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart & Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 669-0413

“Having trained with some of the best in the world at Brown University in three specialties — endovascular peripheral arterial disease, structural heart and complex/high-risk coronary disease — I feel very fortunate to have the skills and expertise to help patients who are seriously ill. Working at CMC’s New England Heart & Vascular Institute, I have the privilege to practice all three of these specialties at the highest level with the latest technologies. It is humbling to know I can make a difference in the lives of patients.”

Radiation Oncology

Jeffrey V. Brower, M.D., Ph.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Elliot Hospital

Seacoast Cancer Center

Dover, (603) 742-8787

Alan C. Hartford, M.D., Ph.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Dartmouth Cancer Center

Mercy Hospital Berryville

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-6600

Brian R. Knab, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Radiation Oncology Associates

Manchester, (603) 663-1800

Su K. Metcalfe, M.D., M.P.H.

Concord Hospital

Radiation Oncology Associates

Concord, (603) 230-6100

Bryan P. Rowe, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Radiation Oncology Associates

Concord, (603) 230-6100

Thomas Sheldon, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Radiation Oncology Associates

Concord, (603) 230-6100

Himanshu Singh, M.D.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Seacoast Cancer Center

Dover, (603) 742-8787

Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility

Joseph A. Hill III, M.D.

Fertility Centers of New England

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Winchester Hospital

Portsmouth, (781) 942-7000

Kristen Wright, M.D.

Boston IVF

Elliot Hospital

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-Boston

Bedford, (781) 434-6500

Rheumatology

Daniel A. Albert, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8622

Christopher M. Burns, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8622

Todd F. Dombrowski, M.D., M.D., M.S.

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6570

Kalyani Govindaraju, M.D.

Nashua Rheumatology

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 594-6300

Sherry A. Guardiano, D.O., M.B.A.

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6570

Irene Orzano Hou, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester

Manchester, (603) 695-2550

Daniel Kunz, D.O.

Exeter Hospital Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 777-1000

Douglas F. Marks Jr, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

New Hampshire Arthritis Center

Manchester, (603) 314-6970

Naureen Mirza, M.D. Elliot Hospital

New Hampshire Arthritis Center

Manchester, (603) 314-6970

Aparna Raju Padmaraju, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 314-6970

Hoke H. Shirley III, M.D.

Concord Orthopaedics

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3368

Alicia J. Zbehlik, M.D., M.P.H. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8622

Sleep Medicine

Brooke G. Judd, M.D. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-3630

Michele G. Rush, M.D. Concord Hospital – Laconia Sleep Evaluation Center Gilford, (603) 737-6755

Sports Medicine

Patrick Casey, M.D. Concord Orthopaedics

Concord Hospital Concord, (603) 224-3368

Christopher J. Couture, M.D. Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Frisbie Memorial Hospital

Seacoast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Somersworth, (603) 742-2007

Tahsin Ergin, M.D.

Essex Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Holy Family Hospital Parkland Medical Center

Salem, (603) 898-2244

Jeffrey I. Kauffman, M.D., F.A.A.O.S., A.B.O.S. Littleton Regional Hospital

Littleton, (603) 259-7700

Peter M. Loescher, M.D.

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 442-5630

Jonathan Mack, M.D., C.A.Q.S.M. Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 625-1655

John Andrew McMahon, D.O.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Portsmouth Regional Hospital York Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-1121

Daiying Lu, M.D.

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 627-1102

Christopher Lundquist, M.D.

Catholic Medical Center

Notre Dame Pavilion

Manchester, (603) 627-1887

Patrick Mahon, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Catholic Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Bedford, (603) 665-5150

Eric D. Martin, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Tawakalitu O. Oseni, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Foundation Surgery

Nashua, (603) 882-8375

Kurt K. Rhynhart, M.D.

Jock N. McCullough, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-7390

Curtis C. Quinn, M.D. Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 627-1102

Gerald L. Sardella, M.D. Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart and Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 663-6340

Benjamin M. Westbrook, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart and Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 663-6340

Urogynecology/Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery

Elizabeth C. Chase, M.D.

Joshua A. Siegel, M.D.

Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Exeter, (603) 775-7575

Surgery

Stacey Abbis, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Nashua St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua, (603) 577-4141

Richard J. Barth Jr, M.D.

Dartmouth Cancer Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-9479

Alexandra Briggs, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8050

H. E. Guy Burman, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6504

Robert A. Catania, M.D.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 577-3275

Robert J. Chastanet, M.D.

Speare Memorial Hospital

Plymouth General Surgery

Plymouth, (603) 536-5670

David J. Coppola, M.D.

Seacoast General Surgery

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 749-2266

David A. Gould, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Elliot Hospital

Manchester, (603) 695-2840

Rajan Gupta, M.D., M.H.C.D.S., F.A.C.S., F.C.C.P.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 882-8375

Curtis J. Kloc, M.D., F.A.C.S. Monadnock Community Hospital

Peterborough, (603) 924-4668

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5000

Alice Rocke, M.D.

Littleton Regional Hospital

Littleton, (603) 444-0997

Kari M. Rosenkranz, M.D.

Dartmouth Cancer Center

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-7901

Jessica L. Ryan, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Catholic Medical Center Breast Care Center

Bedford, (603) 663-5270

Tajammul Shafique, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Concord Hospital

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Gilford, (603) 528-1547

Jay W. Swett, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Exeter Hospital

Core Physicians

Exeter, (603) 775-7405

Richard Joseph Tomolonis, M.D.

Catholic Medical Center

Notre Dame Pavilion

Manchester, (603) 627-1887

Christopher M. Weinmann, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Concord Hospital

Concord Hospital – Laconia

Gilford, (603) 528-1547

Andrew Wu, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.M.B.S.

Catholic Medical Center

Notre Dame Pavilion

Manchester, (603) 627-1887

Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery

David J. Caparrelli, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Catholic Medical Center

New England Heart and Vascular Institute

Manchester, (603) 663-6340

David J. Finley, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8537

Garrison Women’s Health

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-0101

Deeptha Sastry, M.D.

Harbour Women’s Health

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Portsmouth, (603) 431-6011

Veronica Triaca, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3388

Urology

Sandy M. Chin, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-1444

Lawrence M. Dagrosa, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5091

Scott J. Fabozzi, M.D. Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3388

Christopher R. Girasole, M.D. Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

E. Ann Gormley, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5091

Martin S. Gross, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Cheshire Medical Center

Dartmouth hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

New London Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-5091

Cullen M. Jumper, M.D.

Core Urology

Exeter Hospital

Exeter, (603) 658-1277

Trisha J. Kammann, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Amichai D. Kilchevsky, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Springfield Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3388

Shilpa Lamba, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Dover, (603) 742-1444

Sarah J. McAleer, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Robert E. Mitchell, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3388

John J. Munoz, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Cyrus B. Noble, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Vernon M. Pais Jr, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-5091

Rick D. Phelps, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics

Manchester

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Clinics Nashua

Manchester, (603) 629-8222

George F. Quimby, M.D.

Cheshire Medical Center

Keene, (603) 354-6570

William Farber Santis, M.D.

Concord Hospital

Concord, (603) 224-3388

William A. Selleck, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Elliot Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Samuel T. Snipes, M.D.

Manchester Urology Associates

Southern New Hampshire

Medical Center

Catholic Medical Center

Manchester, (603) 669-9200

Vascular & Interventional Radiology

Jeffrey P. Chapdelaine, M.D.

St. Joseph Hospital

Nashua Radiology

Nashua, (603) 882-3000

REDEFINE YOUR HEALTH

Vascular Surgery

James M. Estes, M.D.

Wentworth Health Partners

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Dover, (603) 609-6685

Patricia C. Furey, M.D., F.A.C.S., M.B.A.

Catholic Medical Center

St. Joseph Hospital

Bedford, (603) 665-5150

Philip Goodney, M.D., M.S.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Exeter Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-8193

Richard Powell, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, (603) 650-8193

David H. Stone, M.D.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Exeter Hospital

Lebanon, (603) 650-8193

Laurence P. Young, M.D.

CMC’s Vein & Vascular Specialists

St. Joseph Hospital

Catholic Medical Center

Nashua, (603) 665-5150

CASTLE CONNOLLY TOP DOCTORS is a healthcare research company and the official source for Top Doctors for the past 26 years. Castle Connolly's established nomination survey, research, screening and selection process, under the direction of an M.D., involves many hundreds of thousands of physicians, as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals and regional and community hospitals all across the nation.

The online nominations process — located at castleconnolly.com/nominations — is open to all licensed physicians in America who are able to nominate physicians in any medical specialty and in any part of the country, as well as indicate whether the nominated physicians is, in their opinion, among the best in their region in their medical specialty or among the best in the nation in their medical specialty. Once nominated, Castle Connolly's physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels.

Careful screening of doctors' educational and professional experience is essential before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers. The result: We identify the top doctors in America and provide you, the consumer, with detailed information about their education, training and special expertise in our paperback guides, national and regional magazine “Top Doctors” features and online directories.

Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Physicians selected for inclusion in this magazine’s “Top Doctors” feature also appear online at castleconnolly.com, or in conjunction with other Castle Connolly Top Doctors databases online on other sites and/or in print.

Castle Connolly was acquired by Everyday Health Group (EHG), one of the world’s most prominent digital healthcare companies, in late 2018. EHG, a recognized leader in patient and provider education, attracts an engaged audience of over 53 million health consumers and over 780,000 U.S. practicing physicians and clinicians to its premier health and wellness websites. EHG combines social listening data and analytics expertise to deliver highly personalized healthcare consumer content and effective patient engagement solutions. EHG’s vision is to drive better clinical and health outcomes through decision-making informed by highly relevant data and analytics. Healthcare professionals and consumers are empowered with trusted content and services through the Everyday Health Group’s flagship brands including Everyday Health®, What to Expect®, MedPage Today®, Health eCareers®, PRIME® Education and our exclusive partnership with MayoClinic.org® and The Mayo Clinic Diet.®

Everyday Health Group is a division of J2 Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JCOM), and is headquartered in New York City.

Barbara, Program Participant

A spectacular fall foliage road trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

The legendary Swan Boats in Boston, Massachusetts

A next-generation maple syrup producer in Goshen, Vermont

What it takes to become a Registered Maine Guide

Vermont’s Mirna Valerio, endurance runner and advocate for athletes of all shapes, sizes, and abilities

A visit to the idyllic coastal town of Essex, Connecticut Jewish deli traditions in Brookline, Massachusetts

Dogsledding at New Hampshire’s Umbagog Lake State Park

A visit to an artisan coffee roaster in Charlestown, Rhode Island

“Watching this new season is like taking a direct flight to the Northeast and having a personal tour guide pick you up at the airport.”

- Brook Holmberg

Publisher, Yankee Magazine

603 Living

“I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.”

— Oprah Winfrey

PHOTOS COURTESY BRAINSTORM

Health 92

Seniority 94

Ayuh 96

Art-Inspired Home Décor

Adorn your living space with handwrought pieces from Granite State artisans

BY CALEB JAGODA

Home décor is an integral but often overlooked aspect of daily life. The energy that our furniture, carpets, knickknacks and wall accoutrements transmit into our homes subconsciously affects our mental state and emotional palette. Including plants, handmade artwork and a profusion of other homey tchotchkes can make a living space feel both welcoming to visitors and uniquely yours. With many Granite State makers offering their own idiosyncratic take on interior decoration, there’s no better time to support local artisans and liven up your living space. Make your room a cozy piece of art with pieces from these New Hampshire artist-supporting shops.

Left and above: Brainstorm Quick Dry towels are ultra lightweight, absorbent and travel-friendly. The 30-by-60inch size includes a two-sided design and nifty stuff sack.

Baba Yaga Littleton • (603) 575-5358 • babayagaville.com

Zach Johnsen, the Granite State artist and designer behind ZENVIRONMENTS

Studio, founded this art-driven Littleton gift shop in March of 2021. Dedicated to the “woods and weird,” as their website says, Baba Yaga features an abundance of Johnsen’s original work alongside an eclectic array of apparel, prints, stickers, original art, pins, patches and more from a curated group of makers. Stepping inside their Main Street storefront is like jaunting through a psychedelic forest: wooden cut-outs of ghouls, mushrooms and color-dripped arboriculture adorn the walls; baubles, figurines and dioramas depicting wonky worlds fill nooks and crannies; odd lamps and fur-

nishings — some of which aren’t for sale — populate shelves and floorspace. One gets the sense Johnsen opened the shop as a passion project to display and sell the art fueling his eccentric, hallucinatory tastes. Johnsen’s work for ZENVIRONMENTS

Studio has graced the pages and ad campaigns of illustrious magazines and national companies — everywhere from Nike to Mountain Dew, the X Games to MTV, The New York Times Magazine to right here at New Hampshire Magazine. Open your mind and decorate your house a little off the beaten path at Baba Yaga. Open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dragon’s Bite Handmade Retail

Dragon’s Bite Handmade Retail in Peterborough is essentially a permanent maker’s market, selling the work of over 30 New Hampshire artisans. The shop offers every kind of home accessory imaginable, including drinkware, glass art, cutting boards, crystals, papercraft, outdoor paraphernalia, candles, pillows, suncatchers, quilts, wind chimes and more. As their website states, owner Mandy Carter aims for craftspeople

in the Monadnock region to “display, market and sell their products to their neighbors.”

Dragon’s Bite features the kind of homespun décor you’d find at your grandma’s house — including cheeky kitchen towels, quippy

fridge magnets and canvases with phrases like, “If you’re offended by the things I say, imagine what I hold back!” Dragon’s Bite Handmade Retail is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Baba Yaga’s “The White Bear” print is a 12-by-36-inch giclee print on archival bamboo paper that celebrates the tenacity of life within the wild places of North America.

Baba Yaga is an art-driven Littleton shop dedicated to the woods and the weird in art, gifts, crafts and collectables.

Owner Mandy Carter’s quirky shop features artists and craftspeople in the Monadnock region.

PHOTOS COURTESY BABA YAGA

Brainstorm Dover • wearebrainstorm.com

Prints, blankets, towels, mugs. Trays, hats, shirts, stickers. Original one-of-one art pieces and jigsaws from their own puzzle company. Brainstorm — the Dover-based married-couple art-duo Briana Feola and Jason Snyder — proffers an entire line of original products featuring their distinctive, simple flair. Whimsical doodles and bright colors dance within clean lines and controlled shades. Their style delineates

nature, science and travel into state maps depicting cultural landmarks, décor and prints displaying mountains, oceans, skies and vegetation and apparel showcasing bubbly, cartoonish mascots brimming with personality. Brainstorm’s fingerprints can be found nationwide thanks to their impressive project list — ranging from brewery murals, wrapping paper patterns for Whole Foods Market and an entire suite of designs for leg-

endary Chicago music festival Lollapalooza, to name a few.

You can buy their products direct from their website or at retailers in over 35 states, including 17 different New Hampshire shops. If their several-month-long pop-up at Garrison City Beerworks in Dover during 2022 is any indication, they’re also known to set up shop across the Granite State from time to time. Visit wearebrainstorm.com.

League of NH Craftsmen

For over 90 years, the nonprofit League of NH Craftsmen has promoted fine craft, supported craftspeople and enriched New Hampshire’s art scene.

Visitors can shop in one of seven Fine Craft Galleries that feature handmade crafts and art and offer a number of educational programs, including classes, demonstrations and workshops open to people of all ages and skill levels.

Throughout its history, the League has helped craftspeople sell their work, hone their skills and generate income. More than 700 juried craftspeople produce contemporary and traditional craft in a wide range of media, from basket-making to pottery, printmaking to furniture making, crafting jewelry, quilts, photography, folk art and much more.

The League is recognized today as one of the country’s foremost fine arts organizations, setting the standard for fine hand crafts valued across the globe — and made right here in New Hampshire.

Visit nhcrafts.org/gallery-locations for hours of operation and information on individual craftsmen at each location.

Right: This ruby red, jacquardwoven towel is great for the beach or bath and made from 100% sustainable cotton.

Above: Get creative and caffeinated with this cheerful 11-ounce ceramic mug.

PHOTOS COURTESY BRAINSTORM

Locations in Center Sandwich, Concord, Hooksett, Littleton, Meredith, Nashua and North Conway • nhcrafts.org

This pottery sphere by Lars Turin is a fine representative of the craftsmanship of the League’s 700 artisans.

Calendar

EVENTS FOR MARCH & APRIL

Editor’sChoice

March 26

St. Patrick’s Parade > This longstanding Manchester tradition may be the granddaddy of all St. Patrick’s Day events in the Granite State. Organizations from around the state hoist the tricolor, don their green and march down Elm Street for the parade (which is held on a late-March Sunday every year to avoid competition). Park your lawn chair along the route, wave to the annually nominated Grand Marshal and scout out more guys in kilts than you’ll see all year. Manchester; saintpatsnh.com

March 26

Great Bay Half Marathon & 5K > The Great Bay Half Marathon and 5K is returning to Newmarket for its 16th year of scenic New England running by the Great Bay estuary. Half-marathoners traverse beautiful winding roads, the Great Bay estuary and historic downtown Newmarket. Runners receive apparel, beer from Smuttynose Brewing Co. and healthy snacks. $39-$89. 11 a.m., Downtown Newmarket; greatbayhalf.com

March 11

On Tap for CASA > At this fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of New Hampshire, participants aim to keep their teams’ barstools occupied for 10 hours without abandoning the post while competing in a variety of fun competitions to gain points, including trivia, stein hoisting and more. Come for the cause, stay for the friendly competition. All participant spots will likely be filled by early March, but interested persons can donate and drop by the event for music, raffles and libations offered throughout the 10-hour event. All proceeds go toward recruitment and training of CASA volunteer advocates — ordinary men and women advocating for abused or neglected children in New Hampshire’s court system.

12 to 10 p.m., New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett. casanh.org/ontap

March 4

Yung Gravy > Southern New Hampshire University’s organization CAPE (Coordinators of Activities and Programming Events) presents Yung Gravy. A humorously groovy and trending rapper, Yung Gravy made his debut in 2017 with the hit song “Mr. Clean.” $35. 7 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 644-5000; snhuarena.com

March 4-5

56th Annual New Hampshire State Home Show > During the two-day expo, visitors can attend seminars on topics like remodeling and energy efficiency and browse a show floor full of displays from home pros and more. $10-$15. Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 228-0351; nhstatehomeshow.com

March 11

St. Patty’s 5k & 10K > With a common start and finish for both the 5K and 10K distances, this Irish-themed course is flat and fast. The 5K follows one clockwise lap within the Pease Development

Authority while the 10K races two laps with a quick out-and-back on Rye Street during the second loop. $10-$40. 10 a.m., Pease Development Authority, 200 International Dr., Portsmouth; runreg.com

March 24

Waypoint SleepOut > Spend a night out in the cold in solidarity with youth enduring homelessness in New Hampshire. This year is the 9th annual SleepOut, and will be a hybrid event, which means participants can sleep out (as a “Sleeper”) in their own backyard or a place of their choosing, or at one of the designated group sites in Manchester (464 Chestnut St.) and Rochester (3 Wallace St.). Participants can even choose to sleep in (as a “Daydreamer”). However participants choose to get involved, their objective is to raise as much money and awareness as they can. SleepOut 2023 will help Waypoint quell the suffering of youth, advocate for change at the legislative level and support Waypoint’s expanded services, including an emergency overnight shelter, to help transform thousands of young lives. Register or donate on Waypoint’s website. (603) 518-4000; waypointnh.org

March 31-April 2

Exeter LitFest > Calling all bibliophiles, this event is for you. Start the weekend with a kick-off party, followed by a daylong schedule of events on Saturday, including keynote speakers like author Rabia Chaudry, book launches, author talks, children’s programming, art exhibits and more all around downtown. LitFest concludes with a gala poetry reading at the Word Barn. Free. Downtown Exeter; exeterlitfest.com

Throughout March

New Hampshire Maple Month > March is Maple Month in New Hampshire, marking peak maple syrup production season when over 90 Granite State sugarhouses boil down sap to the beloved delicacy. As part of Maple Month, an abundance of the state’s sugarhouses open their doors each weekend for free tours and samples, as well as horse-drawn rides, sugar on snow, pancake breakfasts and more.

Visit New Hampshire’s Maple Producers Association Inc.’s website for an up-to-date directory of participating sugarhouses. (603) 833-2347; nhmapleproducers.com

April 1

’80s Day > Your favorite day at Loon Mountain is back. ‘80s Day is a complete all-mountain throwback party. Drum up your best outfit, bump springtime moguls, carve plush corduroy and cap off the day with an outdoor concert featuring ’80s tribute band Rubix Kube. If you have a valid season pass, ticket pack or day ticket (excluding uphill access tickets), admission to the concert venue is free (ages 21+). Your RFID media will be scanned at the

Presenting Sponsor:

venue entrance to validate admission. If your pass or ticket is not valid for lift access on April 1, it is not valid for admission to the concert venue. If you do not have a valid season pass, day ticket or ticket product, a limited number of concert tickets will be available for purchase online starting March 22 at noon. Concert tickets must be purchased online and picked up at a PUB. Loon will be operating shuttles for ’80s Day, operating on a loop around town stopping at locations listed on their website. Prices vary. All day, Loon Mountain, 60 Loon Mountain Rd., Lincoln. (800) 229-5666; loonmtn.com

April 6-8

Comedian Bob Marley > Bob loves being a comedian. He’s wicked good at it! He lives in Maine, which is the (second) best state in the world, maybe even the universe (although New Hampshire is pretty awesome, too). He’s featured regularly on Sirius XM radio and he even won their Superbowl of Comedy. He has put out over 20 comedy CDs and DVDs. He was inducted into “The Guinness Book of World Records” for “the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual” at 40 hours of straight stand-up. He’s been on over 100 TV shows including “Leno,” “Letterman,” “Conan,” “Jimmy Fallon,” “Craig Ferguson” and “Comedy Central,” to name just a few. He co-starred in “Boondock Saints” and “All Saints Day” playing Detective Greenly. He has toured the U.S., Europe, Canada, Kuwait and Iraq. That’s about it. See him at the Palace Theatre. $39.50. Thursday 7:30 p.m., Friday 8:30 p.m. and Saturday 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. (603) 668-5588; palacetheatre.org

April 15

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day > This annual educational event from the state Fish and Game Department is jam-packed with lectures and presentations, wild animal meet and greets and opportunities to try out archery and other sports. Best of all? It’s free. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Dr., Concord. (603) 721-3421; wildlife.state.nh.us

April 29

Motor Booty Affair > Motor Booty Affair has been lighting up stages across America with their ’70s extravaganza for several years, continually improving on the show that has been dubbed “The Ultimate Disco Party Band.” The show is spectacular — from the afros, bell-bottoms, platform shoes, polyester and dance moves, to the highest quality sound and light show this side of 1975. $20. 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester. (603) 335-1992; rochesteroperahouse.com

Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/ calendar. Submit events eight weeks in advance to Caleb Jagoda at cjagoda@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.

Fitness Over Fifty, or at Any Age

What should you be striving for? Focus on one step at a time.

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS / PHOTO BY FOTO-SEVENTYFOUR

You may not be able to run 20 miles anymore, but you know you need to strike a balance between marathon running and couch sitting. Are a couple of walks around the block each week enough, or is it finally time to put that gym membership you’ve been paying for to use? If you’re struggling to balance work, caregiving and protecting your achy joints, it can be difficult to make room for exercise — or even know where to begin.

Engaging in regular physical activity is one of the most important things older adults can do to improve or maintain their health, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It also keeps your muscles strong, so you can more easily complete daily activities well into your golden years. The CDC also provides this rule of thumb: Each week, you should strive for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) and two days of strength training, as well as activities that promote balance. For some, this routine might seem overwhelming, but New Hampshire senior fitness experts say that if you take one step at a time, you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish.

Judy Wilson, a certified personal trainer at The Works Health & Family Fitness Center, a department of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, agrees that all adults should try to get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week. These activities could include brisk walking, swimming, dancing, using a rowing or elliptical machine, or riding a stationary bike. Some kinds of yard work, like raking or shoveling, could also count toward your goal. Hitting your cardio target can result in decreased blood pressure, reduced anxiety, better sleep and improved cognition, Wilson says. As for strength training, you should focus on doing exercises that target major muscle groups, such as your core, back, chest, arms and legs. Whether you choose to use weights, machines or your own body weight, strength training is key to maintaining your muscle mass, she says.

“We begin to lose muscle mass begin-

ning around age 35 and lose another 1 to 2 percent every year,” Wilson says. “I ran for many years and thought that was enough. Several years ago, I added weight lifting to my workouts. I wish I had started years earlier. I’m 62 now.”

While joining a gym isn’t required to jumpstart your exercise routine, it can offer a variety of equipment options, accountability, support and community. Some gyms offer virtual classes and training opportunities as well. If you know you won’t go, you can buy inexpensive equipment and tap into free or low-cost fitness apps to help keep you on track. At the same time, fitness watches and free apps like MyFitnessPal can help you track both exercise and nutrition.

“I’ve set up clients to work out at home with a stability ball, resistance bands, a few dumbbells of different weights and sometimes a TRX,” she says. “An occasional check-in with a coach can help you to modify your routine as needed.”

Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number

Even if you’re well past retirement age, that’s no excuse to throw in the towel, experts

say. While you may have certain chronic illnesses or injuries to be mindful of, there’s probably a way you can modify activities so that you can reap the benefits of exercise and enjoy it.

Kim Lowell, a wellness and risk reduction specialist who teaches senior fitness classes at Catholic Medical Center, says she’s seen firsthand what 70- and 80-yearolds in her virtual senior fitness classes can accomplish. While individuals with specific injuries might need to take exercise slower or require modifications, there often isn’t much of a difference between what a 50-year-old and a 70-year-old can do, depending on the person, she says.

As we age, we lose bone mass and bone density, which underscores our need to incorporate strength training into exercise routines. Lowell says that she helps seniors build up their strength and endurance, focusing on sitting and squatting, and pushing and pulling. Once someone gets strong enough using their own body weight and learns correct form, she then feels comfortable adding weights to their routine. For older adults who have ill-

nesses such as heart disease, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for example, Lowell suggests that they seek out specialists who can advise them and connect them to the right programs. Catholic Medical Center offers a cardiac rehabilitation program and specific classes for individuals who live with these diseases, and free yoga to anyone going through cancer treatment. Working with your health care provider can get you on the right track to beginning and maintaining a routine that considers your own health condition and goals.

If you’re otherwise healthy, you should aim to make progress and not worry about falling short of perfection. By taking small steps, you might surprise yourself. At 54, Lowell competed in her first body building competition in September 2022.

“By tracking 10,000 steps a day, lifting weights — nothing extreme — and tracking my foods, I was able to lose 25 pounds and get on stage,” she says. “I’ve often heard, ‘You can’t do that; you’re too old.’ You are never too old to exercise. It may look a little different, but the body does need to keep moving.”

There’s No Time Like the Present

Whether you’ve been lax in your fitness routine for two years or all of your life, the best time to start is now, experts say. Rather than shooting for 10,000 steps a day in week one, just start moving, says Jennifer Prudhomme, an advanced personal trainer and certified senior fitness specialist with Elliot Fitness Services at Elliot Hospital. Jennifer is specially certified to teach evidencebased classes that focus on balance and fall prevention.

Among the classes she teaches are Seniors in Motion; Weights, Bands and Balance; Mindful Movement and Meditation; Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance; chair aerobics; traditional aerobics; and an eightweek, evidence-based program called Matter of Balance, which helps seniors learn ways they can prevent falls in the home.

“Start moving,” she says. “Go slow. Walking is a fantastic way to start. Listen to your body. How do your joints feel? Do you have pain? While we’re not running marathons, walking gets a big gold star.”

If your day or week just hasn’t allowed you to put fitness first, you need to work on ditching “all or nothing” thinking when

it comes to the incremental benefits of exercise, Lowell says. Take one day and one step at a time.

“People think that if they can’t do a 30-minute workout, they should give up,” she says. “What’s wrong with fitting in 10 minutes of exercise a day? You could lift for 10 minutes and walk for 10 minutes. There are so many benefits to it.”

You don’t have to embark on your exercise journey alone. Teaming up with an exercise buddy or community not only provides that extra accountability, but it can make fitness more fun. Setting goals at the beginning of the week can also set the stage for success. Wilson suggests morning exercise (to help you feel more energetic during the day) and putting on your workout clothes as soon as you get out of bed. Most of all, she urges adults to forgive themselves for past exercise transgressions so they can move forward in a positive way.

“Stop feeling guilty about the past or thinking you’ll never be able to meet your goals,” she says. “Start small, and sometimes that includes just putting on your workout clothes!” NH

Green Burials

When it comes to burial practices, everything old is new again

BY LYNNE SNIERSON / ILLUSTRATION BY IMAGESINES

Life comes from the Earth, and life returns to the Earth,” Zhuangzi, a significant Chinese Daoist thinker, philosophized in the 4th century B.C.E.

Trending now are green burials that provide an environmentally friendly way to honor departed loved ones while protecting nature.

For a true green burial, no embalming fluid or chemicals are used to preserve the body, varnished caskets are not allowed, vaults made of concrete, metal or plastic to encase a casket are forbidden and a concrete grave liner cannot be put into the ground.

“The body is simply buried without impediment,” says Lee Webster of Plymouth, who is an internationally renowned expert on the subject and a foremost advocate. “No vaults, just a simple casket or shroud made of locally sourced and naturally biodegradable material. In green burial, we do nothing to impede decomposition. Everything must be biodegradable.”

Then Mother Nature takes over and does her part. Moreover, she’s been at it for a long time.

Funeral rituals in common practice today didn’t take root until the early 1900s. Before then, a natural burial was literally the way to go. When someone died, the body was wrapped in an unadorned shroud made of natural fibers and placed in the ground, or sometimes laid to rest in a plain pine box and then buried.

This natural approach is still favored by some religions, among them Orthodox Jews, Muslims and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Arthur “Buddy” Phaneuf (CFSP, CPC), who sits on the National Board of Funeral Directors and owns Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium, which is the largest in New England, says, “One of our funeral homes in Manchester is very active with the Islamic community. Islamic burials are green burials. So are Orthodox Jewish burials and we do those, too. Both communities have been doing it this way for thousands of years. It’s being called a green burial now, but it’s really the same. It’s nothing new, but it is to Christians.”

Currently, there are 15 cemeteries in New Hampshire categorized as one of three

types allowing green burials, according to nhfuneral.org. But the classification of what constitutes a green burial cemetery can be misleading.

Webster, who teaches certified master classes on the subject, notes the three kinds are a hybrid cemetery, which is a separate space in a conventional cemetery; a natural cemetery, which is one specifically for the purpose, so burial is without impediment; and a conservation cemetery, where one is buried on land conserved by a trust so the internment supports restoration, recreation and education.

“There are no natural burial cemeteries in New Hampshire,” says Webster, the former president of the Green Burial Council and co-founder of the Conservation Burial Alliance. “Not yet. But I’m working on it.”

The Friends Natural Burial Ground in Jaffrey comes close. It was established 10 years ago to meet the desires and needs of the members of the Friends Society of Monadnock Meeting after they spent two years working with town and state officials to meet regulations.

“The burial here is entirely green,” says

Judith Brophy while addressing the specific 100 burial slots set aside within this individual meeting’s cemetery. “There is no vault, and the casket is to be entirely bio-degradable. One of our (Quaker) major tenets is simplicity. A vault and a fancy coffin with satin lining and all is not simple. This appeals in all kinds of ways to our values. But these slots are only for our members.”

Even though green burials are sought after across America, Phaneuf doesn’t see the demand increasing in the Granite State, where the cemeteries are hybrid and therefore not “True Green,” as they don’t meet all bio-degradable requirements.

“It’s getting some traction here, but it’s not very popular in New Hampshire. The reason is that people seem to think that there is no embalming and no casket. They don’t realize that they still need a casket, still need to engage the funeral home to do the transfer and complete the paperwork, and they have to buy the cemetery property, so it ends up costing way more than cremation does. A lot of cemeteries that have a green section are charging an upcharge to buy the lots and do the (hand) digging. It’s not always quite as cost effective as families might

think. Some think it must be way less than cremation, but the answer is no, not even close,” he says.

Another consideration is the New Hampshire climate.

“Green burial works very well if all the stars align. A number of the green burial cemeteries here in New Hampshire that we work with don’t do winter burials. They are small towns’ cemeteries. What do you do if someone has passed away in December and the cemetery is not going to open up again until April or May? The answer is, ‘I don’t know,’ because the funeral home is certainly not going to hold a non-embalmed deceased person for four, five or six months. A lot of these small-town cemeteries have winter tombs but require embalming. Some don’t have winter tombs. That’s one of the issues we’ve experienced in the last several years,” explains Phaneuf.

He says other factors are New Hampshire’s 80% cremation rate, which is among the highest in the country, traditional religious practices among the state’s large Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox communities, and gifting bodies to medical science. Moreover, New Hampshire

Veterans Cemetery, the most active in the state, will not do green burials.

“What you’re left with is a very small subset of people. Once you take out the cremation folks, the more traditional folks, those going out of state, those who are donating the body, those who don’t have the funds for green burial, and the veterans, you’re probably talking about one percent per year,” says Phaneuf. “We maybe do five or six green burials per year, and we are the largest funeral home in New England. Chances are we would be doing the lion’s share. It’s not a lot.”

Nonetheless, Webster makes a strong case for going green and going back to the future.

“I work with scientists from all over the world. We’re always trying to come down to discovering not just what we’re putting out into the atmosphere but how this process of decomposing in the ground is the way nature intended, how that can sequester carbon, how that can be beneficial, and how the nutrients of our bodies can support plant and animal communities above ground,” she says. “Burying green is saving land. It’s allowing Mother Nature to do her thing.” NH

Three-Hundred-SomeOdd Years and Countin’

First documented in Exeter (“The Exeter Combination,” 1639), town meetings are still going strong in most New Hampshire towns. Dick Wakefield, a former Moultonborough moderator, coined it, “People’s annual opportunity to sound off.” He adds wryly: “Some overdo it.” Like this one guy who seemed compelled to speak to every article. When a woman proposed a complicated amendment, Dick asked for it in writing. “As I read the amendment aloud,” Dick said, “I realized this guy was talking. Again. I said, ‘Sir, I’m speaking now. Sit down!’ Second biggest round of applause I ever got.”

“What was the biggest?” I asked.

“When I retired as moderator.”

At town meetings, citizens gather to discuss, debate, complain and — occasionally — compliment. Then, everybody having heard the same discussion, they vote. Like George W. Bush, the people in the hall on that day are The Deciders. Even if the scheme to rid the lake of milfoil by importing muskrats doesn’t fly, at least the environmentalist who hatched the idea has the opportunity to be heard. An aficionado tried to explain our unique brand of direct democracy to an outta-statah. He didn’t

get it. She handed him a town report. Light dawned: “You vote on streetlights!”

Exactly.

In Unity, years ago, some folks thought the streetlight in the village was a waste of electricity and should be turned off.

“But if you turn off the light,” a villager queried, “and somebody drove through at night, how would they know that they had been here?”

I landed in Unity one evening for a storytelling session, so I asked if the town did, indeed, have a streetlight.

“No,” they said. “But we used to.”

At town meetings, constituents question town officials directly. With the first-ever cruiser on the warrant, a voter observed: “Three officers, but just one cruiser. How’s that work?”

“Two in the front and one in the back,” the chief said.

Vehicles are darned expensive. At another meeting, a citizen protested — loudly and at length — the cost of a dump truck.

“You don’t like the new truck?” someone yelled back.

“No, I do not!”

“Then don’t vote for it.”

In another town, the proposed purchase

BY REBECCA RULE / ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD FITZPATRICK

of a ladder truck prompted lively discussion.

“There’s three problems with this ladder truck,” an opponent said. “First, we can’t afford it. Second, we don’t have a building big enough to store it. Third, there’s nobody in town smart enough to drive the back half.”

Woodstock voters weren’t sure if they could afford a new snowplow. An optimist mentioned that Lincoln was also in the market for a plow. “How about we split the cost,” he suggested, “and share the plow?”

“Far as I know,” the road agent said, “when it’s snowing in Lincoln, it’s snowing in Woodstock.”

A stickler in Grantham complained that the budget line for road maintenance had been overspent the year before and demanded an explanation from that town’s road agent. Alfred Holmes stepped to the mic. The stickler said something along the lines of, “Why did you exceed your allotted budget in the previous fiscal year, Mr. Holmes?”

Alfred Holmes leaned toward the mic and cleared his throat. “It snowed,” he said, and returned to his seat.

Finally, in Brookline, a voter expressed a grave concern. “I see we’re spending $500 for a sexton. What is a sexton?”

“I’m the sexton,” said Grover Farwell. “And I’m going to bury you.”

Brookline’s legislative body was so tickled by both the question and the answer that the exchange was repeated the following year. I’m told, in fact, it became a cherished tradition, like town meetings itself. NH

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205 Dartmouth Health doctors featured in New Hampshire Magazine’s Top Doctors issue.

day.

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