New Hampshire Magazine October 2024

DREAM RETIREMENT

What’s Inside YOUR

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Contents

October 2024

603 Navigator

10 Fall Blaze on Chocorua Lake

Autumn air and foliage brings this infamous Tamworth spot to life

Photo by Michael Hubley

12 Ready for Showtime

Concord’s revitalization brings fresh energy to arts, dining and more By Sarah Pearson

18 Rediscovering Hard Cider

Take a journey through New Hampshire’s craft cideries By Kara McGrath

603 Informer

24 New Hampshire Goes to the Movies

42 Hoppy Times

New Hampshire fall beer festivals are about more than just craft beer — they’re a celebration of community, the great outdoors and the harvest season. From the Canadian border to southern New Hampshire, beer festivals are where families, friends and beer enthusiasts come together to create memories against the backdrop of New Hampshire’s stunning fall scenery.

Story and photos by Kendal J. Bush

48 Cascades of Color

For those interested in viewing the foliage up close, consider one of these family-friendly hikes across the state. And for those who might enjoy a meandering trek through charming towns and dramatic mountain scenery, jump in the car for a driving tour through some of New England’s most picturesque regions. Better yet, why not try both?

By Jill Armstrong

62 Memento Mori in Action

A mother and daughter bond over cleaning old headstones while dispelling cemetery stigma.

By Elisa Gonzales Verdi, photos by Brittany Grimes and art elements by Lady Sara Richard

Movies are where the magic happens By Crystal Ward Kent

30 Blips

Noah Kahan celebrates his favorite Upper Valley restaurant By Casey McDermott

32 What Do You Know

Taking the Tour

By Marshall Hudson

34 In Their Own Words

Fright Night By Emily Reily

603 Living

72 All Things Pumpkin

Amid the fall festivals celebrating the foliage and harvest season, New Hampshire has two storied festivals that celebrate all things pumpkin

By Elisa Gonzales Verdi

93 Calendar

Fall events around the state are waiting for you

Compiled by Elisa Gonzales Verdi

86 Health

Cooper’s Comfort

By Krysten Godfrey Maddocks

88 Live Free

The Lights can Always Shine By Dan Szczesny

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

36 Beer Beat

76 Pink Power

86 Five Star

October in Color, and in Black and White

IT’S HARD TO CONJURE IMAGES OF FALL foliage, brisk temperatures and shorter days when we’re still winding down the summer. Last night, the thunder was loud enough to drown out the sound of dogs barking endlessly in our neighborhood. (When we’re lonely, we bark!)

Hail pelted our back deck, covering it with a thin blanket of late August ice. One of our porch chairs looked like we had dumped a beach cooler on it. Then the rain subsided, and the quiet, such as it is on the city streets of Manchester, returned.

For many of us in New Hampshire, fall is our favorite season. Come October, tourists from all over the world visit the Granite State to witness the intense brilliance of color, especially in the White Mountains and the Lakes Region.

It’s when we hike to the top of Mount Major in Alton Bay to enjoy a summit that offers spectacular views of Lake Winnipesaukee (which I tell newbies offers the biggest bang for the least amount of effort).

We celebrate those spectacular views with a guide to New Hampshire foliage hikes by Jill Armstrong, paired with stunning images by some of the state’s best photographers (page 48). You can enjoy the artistry from your living room chair, but we hope it inspires you to leave the confines of your home and explore the state’s great, fleeting beauty.

Autumn is also a time we ponder the cycle of life. Those leaves falling off the trees will form beds in the forest and slowly decay, creating the sweet smell I had once forgotten after many years away from New England. The trees will lay bare for the cold winter months and emerge with new green leaves come springtime.

Humans don’t much like pondering the cycle of life when it comes to their own precious time on Earth. We laugh about it instead by being scared out of our minds on purpose. For this month’s “In Their Own Words,” Assistant Editor Emily Reily visited with Eric Lowther, who for nearly 20 years has been producing Haunted Overload, an annual outdoor scarefest at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee (page 34).

Sara Richard and her mom, Carol Richard, celebrate life by embracing death and the memories of those who have come before us, reversing the scouring effects of the wuthering winds of time on headstones in old cemeteries.

The “Graveside Ladies,” as told by Assistant Editor Elisa Gonzales Verdi (page 62), restore neglected headstones whose inscriptions have been obscured by lichen. In that way, they uncover stories of families who might otherwise be forgotten.

For last year’s October column, I spent some time talking with Sara and her work as a writer/illustrator of gothic books and comics. She told me about the hobby she shares with her mother as well as her healthy sensibility about death as being a natural part of life.

FIND WHAT MOVES

That’s a sentiment we all can appreciate.

BLAME THE NEWT

Careful reader Dan Scanlon, a commercial Realtor with Colliers based in Manchester, teased me about the presence of “Anaheim” among the 60 New Hampshire locales listed among our Spot the Newt entries in my September column. I was California dreaming that day. I blame the Newt.

The latest batch for the September issue (see winner on page 9) included entries from a dozen communities not recognized last month: Alstead, Antrim, Atkinson, Bristol, Dalton, Gilford, Glen, Hebron, Jefferson, Lakeport, Lancaster and Stratham.

We received one entry via email from “Niederhofstetten, New Hampshire.”

Ayuh, Austria.

BY

PHOTO

Contributors for October 2024

Assistant editor Elisa Gonzales Verdi wrote this month’s feature, “Memento Mori in Action,” about dispelling cemetery stigma through grave cleaning. She also wrote this month’s Living section about all things pumpkin. In her spare time, you’ll find her cruising around the coast, eating kettle corn and listening to tunes from Chappell Roan.

Jill Armstrong is a freelance writer who reports on the outdoor industry in the Granite State. She wrote this month’s “Cascades of Color” feature.

Allegra Boverman took the photos for this month’s Our Town about the fresh life and revitalization going on in Concord.

Frequent contributor Kendal J. Bush wrote and photographed this month’s feature about fall beer festivals around the Granite State.

Crystal Ward Kent is a longtime journalist and Seacoast writer. She wrote this month’s Informer section about movie-making in New Hampshire.

About | Behind the scenes at New Hampshire Magazine

A Little Help from Our Friends

Longtime NH Magazine friend and illustrator

Peter Noonan worked on this month’s Live Free artwork — or, his daughter Isla did. Isla stepped in to help when she heard that her dear friend Uma (left) was going to be in the illustration (above).

Brittany Grimes currently works as a full-time photographer in southern New Hampshire. She photographed this month’s gravestone cleaning feature.

Kara McGrath is a Keene-based writer who’s been reporting on many topics for over a decade. She wrote this month’s Food & Drink section.

Incredible Illustrations by Lady Sara Richard

While you are flipping through the pages of this issue, make sure to visit page 62 to enjoy the gorgeous illustrations that surround our feature “Memento Mori in Action.” The embellishments were done by non other than one of the story’s interviewees, Sara Richard. The Manchester-based writer and illustrator draws inspiration from Victorian funerary and morning customs, art noveau, art deco and the “eerie ambiance of Salem, Mass.” She has illustrated for Marvel, DC Comics and Dynamite Comics, and has had work featured in British Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair and more. Sara’s art often explores “what might lie beyond the veil,” and if you look closely, you will find intricate details throughout her work that explore what lies beyond. sararichard.com

Photojournalist

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.

Last month’s “Spot the Newt” winner is Maria Bowden-Gerard. September issue newts were on pages 6, 9, 12 and 86.

NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?

The prize is a gift certificate for $50 to use at the shop or restaurant of our choosing. Each month’s gift card will be different, which adds to the overall Newt fun. Let the hunt begin!

on Public Television Stations Nationwide

A National Travel & Lifestyle Television Series from the Editors of

603 Navigator

Fall Blaze on Chocorua Lake

“I love stopping at Chocorua Lake as my last stop of the day after a beautiful day of photographing autumn color in the White Mountains. Sometimes I just sit and drink in the beauty of nature. This day, everything was working, from the fall color to clouds to afternoon light — it was spectacular!”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUBLEY

Red River Theaters in Concord

Ready for Showtime

Concord’s downtown is enjoying a grand rebirth

BY SARAH PEARSON / ILLUSTRATION BY PETER NOONAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLEGRA BOVERMAN

Franklin Pierce, Daniel Webster, John Stark and the other historical figures stationed on the State House lawn once could have served as an apt metaphor for the downtown they overlook. Dead.

But since the 1980s, when the capital was nicknamed “the city in a coma,” a cultural shift and significant renovations have awakened the community, where you’ll find several performing and visual arts spaces, boutique shopping and an ever-evolving dining scene.

“We used to joke about Concord’s sidewalks being rolled up at 5 o’ clock at night,” says Tim Sink, president of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. “Well now, the sidewalks are rolling up around 9 or 10 at night. So, it’s a big improvement.”

As the city approached the turn of the century, city leaders, businesses and nonprofit groups came together with ambitious plans to make downtown a destination for residents and visitors.

In 1995, the Capitol Center for the Arts reopened as a 1,300-seat performing arts

venue with thousands of volunteer hours and a multimillion-dollar renovation.

“The rebirth of the Capitol Center for the Arts was an impetus for redevelopment and giving a shot in the arm to Concord’s downtown,” Sink says.

What followed was a community effort to create an indie cinema, which opened as Red River Theatres in 2007. Then, as the Concord City Auditorium passed its 100th birthday, it too underwent renovations. In 2019, the Capitol Center for the Arts opened the Bank of New Hampshire Stage, offering yet another performing arts space downtown.

Those new spaces joined existing entertainment and arts institutions such as the Concord Community Music School, Kimball Jenkins School of Art, Pitchfork Records and Gibson’s Bookstore.

The city’s biggest renovation came in 2015 as it embarked on a two-year project to transform the downtown infrastructure. Working in sections, the city reconfigured four lanes of traffic to two and expanded pedestrian areas. The wider sidewalks

included bump-outs that are used by downtown dining establishments or for a rotating display of public art through the Art on Main partnership.

“Just about any night of the week, you can go out and have a choice of different types of entertainment in and around downtown Concord,” Sink says. “It’s become a much better place for nightlife.”

To celebrate the completion of the downtown project, several arts and cultural organizations, including the chamber, Intown Concord, the League of N.H. Craftsmen and others hosted a weekend full of free entertainment. What was planned as a one-off event featured local artisans and nationally touring acts.

“We started brainstorming about making a free cultural and arts fest in downtown Concord, which really brought in some very upscale entertainment but also brought along cultural organizations and arts organizations that could participate in a number of different ways,” Sink notes.

Enjoying the event so much, the League of N.H. Craftsmen picked up the name to

plan an annual arts and crafts festival in the fall, mirroring the weeklong fair it had long held in Sunapee, for the next five years.

A reimagined festival is picking up that spirit this year.

On Oct. 18 and 19, multiple organizations within the city will present the Sound and Color Festival highlighting the importance of arts in the community.

Performances will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at five stages, and there will be an arts market and food vendors from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. along Main Street.

Partners include the city and the chamber, the Capitol Center for the Arts, Intown Concord, the Concord Community Music School, the New Hampshire Music Collective and PILLAR Gallery + Projects, along with participation from Queerlective, Concord Arts Market, Outer Space and Feathered Friend Brewing Co.

Some 10,000 visitors are expected to enjoy Concord’s bright arts scene while checking out its boutique shops and dining establishments.

“What has happened since the redevelopment of downtown Concord, there are a number of new restaurants: Street, Vibes,

Best Lawyers in America

Fallon Andrews of Manchester and Mike Howat of Concord own Pillar Gallery + Projects in Concord.

Revelstoke, Revival, Playa Bowls, Concord Craft Brewing, 110 Grill,” Sink says. “When the Capitol Center has a sold-out show, all the restaurants are full prior to the show, and those that stay open after the show get a second shot at those customers.”

In the last decade, more than a dozen new places have joined downtown serving customers for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack.

Newcomers and legacy restaurants both use the widened sidewalks and bump-outs added during the Main Street renovation for outdoor dining, which gained a spotlight during the pandemic when indoor dining was restricted.

On Main Street alone, you can find Buba Kitchen, Street 360, Social Club Creamery, Revelstoke Coffee, Dos Amigos and Vibes.

The Post, which has long had a location on Fisherville Road in Penacook, opened a second location on Main Street.

On Depot Street, Revival offers another option for fine dining with a focus on locally sourced ingredients.

Off Eagle Square, N’awlins Grille serves up cuisine inspired by New Orleans’ French and Garden districts in the space formerly occupied by Chuck’s BARber-

shop, which is relocating.

On Pleasant Street, you can find Nonna’s Place, Curry Leaf and Sour Joe’s Pizzeria. Capital Plaza can hook you up with sweet treats at NH Doughnut Co. or Teatotaller.

Smokeshow BBQ, which formerly operated off Fort Eddy Road, relocated to South Main Street in a building it shares with Feathered Friend Brewing Co.

Vinnie’s Pizzeria recently reopened after shuttering during the COVID pandemic.

The owner of Tandy’s Top Shelf bought Vinnie’s and another downtown dining staple, Hermanos, which hosts live music most nights. The Brothers’ Cortado has replaced True Brew in Bicentennial Square. White Mountain Coffee is now the Bean and Bakery.

Top: Emmett Soldati of Somersworth owns the Teatoaller in Concord at Capital Plaza, along with a location in Dover.

Above: Vinnie’s Pizzaria’s general manager Mike Ascari prepares dough for a pizza alongside Deanna Zeuli, left.

These newcomers join the ranks of some longtime Concord establishments like Angelina’s, Cheers, The Common Man, Constantly Pizza, The Gaslighter, Penuche’s, O’s Steak and Seafood, The Barley House, Siam Orchid, Margaritas and more.

Even with all the activity that’s joined the downtown hum, there’s still more to come. Plans are in the works to reopen Phenix Hall as a performance venue.

In July, Arts Alley broke ground between the Bank of New Hampshire Stage and Concord Food Co-op on what will become a Friendly Toast; South Main Street Surfer, a bar with outdoor seating; and Duke’s, a Nashville-inspired restaurant and bar with a focus on live music.

Change is even coming for those stoic statues of the State House lawn with the addition of a monument to Christa McAuliffe, Concord’s teacher in space, the first statue of a woman there.

A sleepy city no more, Concord has emerged from its renovations ready to welcome you for dinner and a show. NH

SHOP OUR FINE CRAFT GALLERIES

Above: Bartender Chris Rhames of Hooksett mixes drinks at BuBa Kitchen in Concord such as mango chili margarita and espresso martinis.

Rediscovering Hard Cider

A journey through New Hampshire’s craft cideries

BY KARA MCGRATH

If the words “hard cider” conjure memories of sipping a sickly sweet concoction at a local college bar, it might be time to give the drink another chance.

“We get a lot of people in saying, ‘I don’t like cider, I don’t like cider,’” says Tim Bassett, co-owner of Contoocook Cider in Contoocook. “Within two or three sips, they’re going home with something.”

Thanks to the big, juicy dessert apples that you’ve likely picked on your own autumnal orchard visits, like McIntosh and Cortland, New England-style cider is light and on the drier side but still full of flavor, says Mark LeClair, owner of Rhythm Cider in Lincoln.

“New Hampshire is a special place for apples (and burgeoning for cider),” says Malcolm Thomas, co-owner of Chase Hill Farm in Albany. “The deep freeze and brilliant climate help develop something truly wonderful.”

While Chase Hill Farm experienced severe fire blight in their mature orchards last year that forced them to pause on selling cider — they’re tinkering with small batches and new blends until fruit production ramps up enough to sell again — there are a handful of other cideries across the state that are sure to please cider enthusiasts and skeptics alike. Here are three worth checking out.

North Country Hard Cider • Dover

Silas Gordon and his brother, Ivan, grew up on a farm in Central Maine “in the middle of nowhere” with no running water and no electricity, but plenty of wild apples to pick. Their mother was a chemist who didn’t allow them to eat anything with additives or preservatives, an ethos that stuck when they decided to go into the cider-making business in 2014 along with their friend Ronald Dixon.

Today, North Country Hard Cider is still made without preservatives — instead, they use a flash pasteurization unit to make the drinks shelf-stable — or added sugar, though that doesn’t mean the ciders aren’t sweet.

“I would say most of the cider we make is kind of a medium (dry),” Gordon says. “But since it’s not added sugar, the interpretation of it is a bit drier and definitely a different taste than something that has processed sugar.”

If you’re looking to branch out from the usual cider flavors, North Country is the place to do it. Their most popular cider is Fire Starter, a spiced cider made with cin-

namon, habanero and pomegranate that the company initially produced as a limitededition Valentine’s Day special in 2015. But once they discontinued it, people kept asking them to bring it back, so they did, and it’s been a bestseller ever since. Other unique blends on tap at the time this article was written include Sweetie Pie (a sweet cider with rhubarb and strawberries), Wulf Kitty (tart cherry, tangerine zest and ginger), and Pineapple Thunder (pineapple

North Country Hard Cider in Dover creates apple cider blends that feature other fruits, such as rhubarb and strawberries (for Sweetie Pie) and pomegranate (paired with habanero and cinamon for Fire Starter).

juice, lime zest and a hint of cilantro).

North Country’s dog-friendly tap room in Dover is open year-round. Allowing dogs means they can’t have a kitchen on-site, but guests are allowed to bring in their own food, plus they rotate in food trucks as often as possible.

They also host a lot of live events, including monthly comedy shows, to raise money for charities the founders are passionate about, primarily ones focused on wildlife rehabilitation and land preservation. “That’s kind of the biggest goal of the business,” Gordon says, “trying to give back to these (causes) that are important to myself and my business partner and my brother but the team as well.” northcountryhardcider.com

Contoocook Cider Company

Contoocook

Tim Bassett and his wife, Amy, purchased Gould Hill Farm in 2010 and quickly realized they wouldn’t be able to afford their mortgage just selling apples. Hard cider, however, seemed promising.

The couple partnered with Mark and Lisa Strader, who had done some home brewing but not cider. “We were all learning as we went,” Bassett says. “And it worked out.” The first Contoocook Cider came out in 2016.

There was a trial-and-error period — Bassett recalls an early cranberry cider attempt that turned into a “reddish cider without much flavor to it” — but now that they’re in a groove, the hardest part is the same thing every cider maker deals with: Apples are different every year.

The Bassetts grow over a hundred different apple varieties on the farm. Not all of them are great for hard cider, but it does give them the opportunity to create unique blends as well as single varietal batches.

In peak fall season, Contoocook typically carries 11 or 12 varieties, including some special batch or limited runs, though most are renewed every year: Bassett says the flagship blends, cranberry, blueberry, winter spice and maple are pretty much always available. But sometimes it just depends on the apples: “If we have a good crop of russets — which are very good cider apples — like we did last year, there’ll be a whole dry variety of a russet (cider),” Bassett says. Sometimes the weather determines what will be for sale: “We’re going to run out of winesap (this year) because our orchard (with the winesap apples) froze out last year.”

The bestsellers for Contoocook also change with the seasons: “In the summer, we’re doing quite a bit of the Summer Days, which is on the dry side, but in the fall we

tend to swing much more to the sweeter side,” Bassett says. “Our blend, the maple and the winter spice all tend to be top sellers in the fall.” The cranberry cider sells well year-round.

The Contoocook Cider tap room and farm store (which sells apples and baked goods), located in a barn built in 1810, are open year-round. In 2021, they started selling some food beyond the baked goods, like pizzas, hot pretzels and charcuterie boards, including gluten-free options.

There’s also live music on the patio pretty much every day the tap room is open from May until Christmas. As Bassett describes it, all this makes for a sweet setup: “You can sit on our patio, listen to live music, and have some pretty amazing views looking right up to the White Mountains.”

contoocookcider.com

Contoocook Cider Company’s tap room and farm store are open year-round. In the peak fall season, Contoocook offers as many as a dozen varietes of cider.

Rhythm Cider • Lincoln

Mark LaClair had been making wine at Seven Birches Winery for 10 years when COVID hit. The pandemic brought a lot of trade to a standstill; LaClair wasn’t able to source grapes from South America or South Africa, but he could still get local fruit. So, he pivoted, and Rhythm Cider was born.

LaClair believes his wine-making background gives him a unique perspective on cider-making: “Wine-making and cider-making, from our perspective, is more like cooking than it is baking. It’s not an exact science.” Since, unlike beer, both wine and cider are derived from fruit, making either requires a certain flexibility and willingness to experiment.

“(It’s) somewhat reactive,” LaClair says. “What is the fruit giving us? What are the textures that we’re sensing right now? What is the sugar content of the fruit coming in, and how do we adjust for that?” After all: “Fruit is different all the time: from one tree to the next, from one orchard to the next, and certainly from one year to the next.”

Rhythm Ciders are all New England-style ciders, sitting closer to the dry side of the

sweetness spectrum. The company’s first variety, Rhythm Cider, remains their bestseller. “It really hits the proverbial sweet spot for most people: It’s not too dry, not too sweet.”

Rhythm Cider (the cider) is just apples, but Rhythm Cider (the company) experiments with blending other flavors like honey, strawberries, blueberries and, what LaClair gets most excited to talk about, hops.

“We put hops in while the cider is fermenting, and it brings out that beautiful flavor” that people might recognize from

their favorite IPAs. New Hampshire Semi Sweet Cider won Best of Show and Best of New Hampshire at the Big E in 2023. “The awards are not what it’s about to us, but it’s kind of nice validation all the same,” LaClair says.

At the Riverwalk Resort in Lincoln, you can get your Rhythm Cider at two locations: the beverages-focused taproom, or with a sitdown meal at the Rhythm Tap & Grille. For their eye-catching bottles, which can be bought in person or ordered online for nearly nationwide shipping, Rhythm contacted local artists and asked if they had any existing art they’d like to be used for the bottles. The subsequent labels are used on the company’s “Artist Series” bottles, which are limited runs. “When they run out, they run out,” LaClair says.

Seven Birches still makes wine, but LaClair says they’re now making about the same volume of cider. “No one will ever really think of New Hampshire as a world-class wine region,” LaClair says. “But they should think of it as a worldclass cider region.” NH rhythmcider.com

Rhythm’s original hard apple cider is fermented naturally from locally sourced apple juice. The company’s ciders are served at the Riverwalk Resort in Lincoln.

603 Informer

This year’s New Hampshire Film Festival takes place from October 17-20 in Portsmouth.

New Hampshire Goes to the Movies

Movies are where the magic happens

STORY BY CRYSTAL WARD KENT

When the lights go down and the big screen fills with images and sound, we are transported into a world of stories. New Hampshire has had its movie moments, large and small. Let’s take a look behind the scenes.

Take One

Hollywood is the epicenter of filmmaking, but from the 1940s through the early 1960s, a New Hampshire filmmaker was not only achieving major success on the big screen but was making many of his films here in the Granite State.

Louis de Rochemont grew up in Massachusetts, but his family was from New Hampshire. He started shooting pictures in high school, filming people in their everyday lives and then selling the stories to local theaters.

The effort honed his eye for storytelling and led to his breakthrough in the 1930s when he moved to New York and started creating newsreels along with his brother, Richard, for Fox’s MovieTone News. The de Rochemonts became famous for “The March of Time,” a visual news magazine, which would win an Oscar in 1936.

De Rochemont’s deft hand with spy films, like his two documentaries about Hitler’s rise to power, has him credited as one of the perfectors of film noir, while his success with documentaries earned him the title “father of the docu-drama.” In fact, de Rochemont

would win the Oscar again in 1958 for his documentary “Windjammer,” which showcased the 17,500-nautical-mile journey of the Norwegian sail-training ship Christian Radich from Oslo to the Caribbean and up the East Coast, including a stop in Portsmouth.

By the late 1940s, de Rochemont had left Twentieth Century Fox to form Louis de Rochemont Associates in New York. He had married Virginia Shaler, a screenwriter/editor. Their son, Louis III, would later come into the business serving as director on “Windjammer” and others.

The de Rochemonts split their time between New York and Newington, where they had an estate on the Piscataqua River. De Rochemont loved New Hampshire, and it became his muse for a series of bold films, which were shot in Portsmouth, Exeter and Dover. In 1949, he broke new cinematic ground with the film “Lost Boundaries,” which was shot in Portsmouth and explored racial issues.

He shot a variety of films over multiple years, but among de Rochemont’s last films was “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” with Vivian Leigh and Warren Beatty in 1960. He died in 1978 at his home in Newington, leaving a lasting legacy on the silver screen.

Stand by

After de Rochemont’s heyday, the real New Hampshire largely disappeared from film, with movies only referencing the state or being shot elsewhere. The year 1940 saw “Northwest Passage” with Robert Young, Spencer Tracy and Walter Brennan, but featured an expensive replica of Portsmouth built on an Idaho sound stage.

The year 1959 brought Robert Stack in “John Paul Jones,” and while Portsmouth is mentioned, it is never seen. 1973’s “The Last Detail” with a young Jack Nicholson tells the story of a sailor on his way to the Naval Prison at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where he is to serve eight years for stealing. The sailor has not seen much of life yet, so his escorts decide to give him one last hurrah. While the film references the Seacoast, no scenes were shot on location.

The year 1972 would see Hollywood return with “A Separate Peace,” based on the John Knowles novel and starring Parker Stevenson. The movie is shot in and around Phillips Exeter Academy and also uses local actors and extras. Hollywood came calling again in 1995 with “Jumanji,” which is set in

The movies are a place for delight and escape, and New Hampshire has produced many talents who have made talents all their own, like Louis de Rochemont and his films pictured below.

New Hampshire. This film, starring Robin Williams, was partially shot in Keene and Swanzey, but most of the movie was filmed in British Columbia.

Four other smaller films were shot in the Granite State in the early and mid-2000s, but were not in wide release; these were “Live Free or Die,” “The Sensation of Sight,” “Mystery Team” and “In Your Eyes.”

Action!

The juggernaut that was “On Golden Pond” hit New Hampshire in the early 1980s, with the filming of this major motion picture on Squam Lake in Holderness. Starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda, the movie was a blockbuster, pulling in the second largest box office for 1982. Based on Ernest Thompson’s play by the same name, the film tells the story of the complicated emotional dynamics between a

father and his estranged daughter. The tale of understanding and forgiveness unfolds one summer on a New Hampshire lake. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and would win three, for Henry Fonda, Hepburn and Thompson’s best adapted screenplay.

When asked why the movie still resonates with people after 40 years, Thompson replies, “It touched a nerve. Everything I do starts with emotion, with finding a way to reach people and make a connection.

‘On Golden Pond’ found that connection; I think many of us have experienced painful relationships like those depicted in the film and it gave us hope for reconciliation.”

Thompson, who grew up in New Hampshire and Maine, lobbied hard for the film to be made in the Granite State, but what cinched the deal was Squam Lake’s location — and not for beauty alone. “The location is stunning with lovely views in every direction,” Thompson says. “But the deciding factors were more mundane. There was plenty of housing for cast and crew on Winnipesaukee; it was also only an hour and 45 minutes from Logan; and in those days, the day’s film was flown out of Logan each night, processed in Hollywood and then evaluated the next day. The other locations couldn’t accommodate these critical factors.”

While no major films have returned to New Hampshire in recent years, the state does have a thriving independent film community, in part thanks to the New Hampshire Film Festival. The international film festival devotes the entire first day to works produced in the state or by New Hampshire filmmakers.

Ian McCarthy, lead programmer for the festival, notes that they typically feature 100 films per year, giving many filmmakers critical opportunities to showcase their work.

“There are many filmmakers in the state but a limited number of places for their work to be screened,” he notes. “The Music Hall is one such location. We provide a space for movie lovers to see a huge number of films, while giving filmmakers vital exposure.”

Dan Hannon, co-founder of the festival, agrees. “We emphasize creative collaboration, education and networking through panel discussions, workshops and social events. This is a platform where emerging artists can advance their craft, engage with attendees and promote to industry participants. Some of the brightest talent is showcased here.”

Above: “On Golden Pond” was released in the 1980s with a sequel in process as this issue hits the presses.

Top right: “Jumanji” was partly filmed in Keene in 1995.

McCarthy cites Robert Eggers as one example. Eggers initially made short films here, then created “The Witch,” a Puritanical horror film featuring a young Anya Taylor-Joy. The film drew critical acclaim at Sundance and later went on to wider release. Eggers is now working with Focus Features/ Universal on a film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” called “Nosferatu,” which will be out at Christmas.

Dan Habib is a local notable who has won awards for his films addressing disability issues. He and his son, Samuel, won an Emmy for co-directing “The Ride Ahead,” about Samuel’s journey to live a fulfilling life and the challenges he faces.

Dan Kennedy is another local filmmaker making waves, with the recent film “Merry Good Enough,” which he co-directed with Caroline Keene, who wrote it, winning an award at the festival. Although that film was shot in Massachusetts, Kennedy is committed to shooting in New Hampshire again. “New Hampshire has beautiful landscapes and authentic locations and characters. The technicians and artists living here are lovely to work with. I enjoy projects like ‘Merry Good Enough’ where you can get a small group of artists together and have fun with

the work. If we can work out a tax credit, we will see more films coming here.”

That’s a Wrap

Thompson, who has also made independent films here, has two projects under way in New Hampshire. One is the film adaptation of his play, “The Constituent,” which was shot in New Hampshire in April and stars Thompson and Gordon Clapp of “NYPD Blue” who hails from North Conway. The story is about an old curmudgeon (Thompson) who has written nasty letters to his U.S. senator for decades and suddenly finds himself face to face with his nemesis. Surprisingly, the two have things in common, but that doesn’t stop the arguing.

Thompson hopes to show the film at Sundance next year.

Fans will be thrilled to hear that the second film is the sequel to “On Golden Pond,” called “Home on Golden Pond,” which is currently going through the casting process. Thompson is adamant that the film will be shot in the Granite State.

“It would be sacrilege to shoot it elsewhere,” he says. The only recurring cast member will be Doug McKeon, who played the boy, Billy, in the original film, and returns briefly in an adult role.

The sequel looks to be another story of emotional depth and multiple layers. Is home a place we are born to, or a place we find in our souls? NH

Right: 21-year-old wheelchair user Samuel Habib is itching to become an independent member of society, but he lives with a rare genetic mutation that necessitates 24/7 care. Witness how he sets out to manage a world that ignores the needs of disabled people in the film “The Ride Ahead.” COURTESY PHOTOS

Marcy Carsey, Tom Bergeron, Eliza Coupe, Jon Rineman, Greg Kretschmar on the New Hampshire Film Festival comedy panel.

Fade to Black…

Many thought that the tremendous success of “On Golden Pond” would launch New Hampshire into a filmmaking frenzy but that was not to be. When asked what the impact of the movie was on New Hampshire filmmaking, Thompson says, “Not a damn thing. Without tax credits or financial incentives, it is very hard to make a movie here. For much of my life, I’ve tried to get the powers that be to understand the positive impact of film. Moviemaking is expensive and producers need to know they can recoup some of that investment. Movies bring a ton of money into communities and the state. During filming, hotels, restaurants and services reap the benefit. Afterwards, if the film is successful, the benefits continue as people want to see

where the movie was filmed. It’s been over 40 years since ‘On Golden Pond’ was made, and the Squam Lake area is still making money with movie merchandise, restaurants, inns and boat tours built around the movie. That’s the power of a successful film.”

Chris Stinson of Live Free or Die Films, is also a powerful advocate for more state cooperation for filmmaking. In 2024, a movie, he produced, “The Holdovers” was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won for Best Supporting Actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph. In a NHPR interview, Stinson noted that “The Holdovers” was shot in Massachusetts, where a movie is being filmed roughly every month. Many people involved in film live in New Hamp-

shire but are working south of the border where the movies are. Stinson pointed out that the Bay State’s tax incentives are a huge inducement, but that New Hampshire could also find other ways to help filmmakers do business cost-effectively.

Despite the challenges of making movies in the Granite State, Thompson urges up and coming filmmakers to get their stories told. “Shoot on an I-Phone if you have to, but get your stories out there,” he says. “Enter the festivals; hold a screening wherever you can — I did one in a vacant store and people came — find a way to get your movie shown. You never know where your efforts will lead. We need to see new visions and ideas in films and I hope our filmmakers persevere.”

Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006

Noah Kahan Celebrates His Favorite Upper Valley Restaurant

Vermont singer-songwriter puts Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant in the spotlight

BY CASEY McDERMOTT

Earlier this summer, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan posted a TikTok of himself dancing backstage at a major music festival to a performance by Chappell Roan, another breakout pop sensation. Naturally, people in the comments were eager to take note of his dance moves and his appreciation for a fellow budding superstar.

But a few eagle-eyed viewers also took notice of the logo on his tie-dye T-shirt, which belonged to Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant

— another Upper Valley institution, with spots in Lebanon and Enfield. As the title and many of the tracks on Kahan’s breakout record “Stick Season” suggests, he hails from Vermont and New Hampshire — and his lyrics reflect a deep affection, if at times complicated, for the region’s idiosyncrasies.

Nick Yager, who opened Gusanoz with his wife, Maria Limon, in 2005, couldn’t believe it when he saw another photo on social media from that same festival of Kahan, still wearing their restaurant’s T-shirt.

“To see him and Chappell Roan together, and he’s wearing a Gusanoz shirt, and then Rolling Stone posted it on their Instagram,” Yager said, “it’s surreal.”

The culinary cameo wasn’t out of nowhere. Kahan’s made no secret of his love for Gusanoz, telling the New York Times last year that it’s his “favorite restaurant in the area” and plugging it on a collaboration with Apple Maps titled “Noah Kahan’s New England Spots.”

Yager said Kahan has indeed been a loyal

From left, Maria Limon, Nick Yager, owners of Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant in Lebanon and Enfield, meet with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York, in September 2023.

customer. Staff watched his steady rise from a local kid hustling at local mic nights to a musician selling out arenas worldwide. When he got his first record deal, Yager said he grabbed food from Gusanoz and left a $100 tip. Kahan’s invited Yager and others from the restaurant to tag along backstage at various concerts, and in a few cases Gusanoz has catered for Kahan’s crew. When Kahan’s back at home, Yager said he still stops back in for food. (His go-to order is usually chicken quesadillas and a side of habanero.)

Occasionally, Gusanoz staff will hear from customers who say they’re stopping in because they heard Kahan was a fan.

“One person actually sent one of our bartenders with a little letter to (Kahan), written on a Gusanoz napkin,” Yager said. “And the bartender actually was able to give him the napkin.”

But there was something else special about the T-shirt Kahan’s been sporting during his summer concert circuit. It’s part of a collaboration between Gusanoz and the Busyhead Project, a nonprofit Kahan founded to promote mental health access and awareness. Yager said they pitched the idea to Kahan this Cinco de Mayo, and “he was all about it.”

And as Kahan’s star continues to rise, Yager said he’ll always have a home at Gusanoz.

“Over the years, as Noah has become more and more well known, it’s just been really nice to be able to give him a place where he can go and just be himself,” Yager said. NH

This tie-dyed shirt is one from the Gusanoz-Busyhead collaboration, a partnership between Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant and their longtime customer, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan.

Taking the Tour

On the trail of the Josie Langmaid murder

STORY & PHOTOS BY MARSHALL HUDSON

Our little convoy pulled out of the parking lot at Pembroke Town Library, took a hard right and traveled back in time 150 years.

The convoy was three cars strong and interconnected by cellphones so each passenger could hear the narrative being given by the tour guide in the lead vehicle.

Our tour guide, Ms. Avree Kelly Clark, is the author of the book, “Malice Aforethought,” which tells the true and tragic story of the murder of Josie Langmaid in 1875.

Clark is bubbly and enthusiastic and speaks rapidly. She effortlessly rattles off dates and names as she points out places of relevance along the tour while engaging us with the Langmaid story. As we drive Pembroke’s main streets and backroads, the phone coverage is spotty in places, and the call drops, leaving some caravan riders

playing catch-up when the call reconnects. I’m fortunate to be riding shotgun in the lead vehicle and not missing any of the details.

We learn that, on the morning of Oct. 4, 1875, Josie Langmaid was getting ready to leave for school but running late. Josie is described as pretty, intelligent and wellliked by her peers, teachers and neighbors. Seventeen-year-old Josie usually walked to school with her brother, Waldo, who was a year younger.

They attended Pembroke Academy, about 2½ miles from the Langmaid farm. Typically, the siblings would link up with friends and other students also on their way to school. Lilia Fowler was a particularly close friend of Josie. The two girls were nearly the same age, and Lilia often waited for Josie so they could walk together.

That morning, Josie was alone because she had left the farm late, and her brother

had gone on ahead. Josie planned to meet up with Lilia Fowler, but Lilia waited as long she dared, and not wanting to be late for school herself, she accepted a ride from a passing neighbor in a horsedrawn wagon. Josie did not arrive at school that day, and her brother, Waldo, assumed she had stayed home.

When Waldo returned home after school and their parents learned that Josie had not made it to school, they contacted friends and neighbors, and a search party was quickly organized to scour the woods between the Langmaids’ home and Pembroke Academy.

When darkness fell the search continued, with men using torches to light their way in the woods. About 9 o’clock that evening, the body of Josie Langmaid was found half a mile from the school. By flickering torchlight, the searchers could see that her clothing was torn and her head was not with her body.

The next morning the search continued,

Josie Langmaid, who was murdered on Oct. 4, 1875, lived with her family in Pembroke.

and Josie’s head was found about a half mile from where her body had been located the night before. Out at the road searchers found a broken, bloodstained, wooden club. The townspeople of Pembroke and Suncook were both heartbroken and outraged that a crime so heinous had been committed in their midst. They were also frightened that the monster who had committed it was still on the loose.

The killer turned out to be a man named Joseph LePage. LePage lived in Suncook with his wife and children but was originally from Quebec. He spoke very little English and worked as a woodcutter chopping wood for the Pembroke mills.

LePage was eventually caught, tried and found guilty of murder in the first degree. His attorney appealed the verdict on the grounds that some of the testimony was not relevant and should not have been admitted. The state Supreme Court agreed, and the verdict was thrown out. LePage was tried a second time and was again convicted and sentenced to hang.

On March 14, 1878, the day before his execution, the condemned man made his last confession to two Catholic priests. Likely out of fear of the afterlife and wanting to confess his sins, LePage confessed his crimes.

He admitted to raping and killing Josie Langmaid and described a spot where he had hidden a ring and some of Josie’s other possessions. The items were found where

LePage indicated, eliminating any doubt that he was the killer. LePage was hanged for his horrible act on March 15, 1878.

Josie was buried in the Langmaid family plot at the Buck Street Cemetery on the east side of Pembroke. Our caravan stopped at this cemetery so our tour group could pay respects and place flowers on the final resting place of the murdered schoolgirl. Josie’s younger brother, Waldo, lies in a grave beside her, along with their mother and father.

Our tour continued on to a tall monument erected by the citizens of Pembroke to remember Josie. The monument is situated near the murder site, and engraved upon it are directions out into the swampy woods and the location where her body was found. The hardy members of our tour group trekked into the woods to see a leaning granite post quietly marking the spot. It was here that our tour guide, Avree Kelly Clark, attempted to answer our questions.

From his confession and the information

provided about hiding Josie’s ring, Joseph LePage must have been the killer. But did he confess the whole truth? Evidence suggests there were other victims as well and unanswered questions remain. Clark believes Lilia Fowler may have been the intended victim and Josie was an unfortunate girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is also speculation that LePage may not have acted alone. Clark probes at these unanswered questions in her book and welcomed hearing our differing opinions.

Our now pensive and somber group returns to the cars and convoys to the Suncook mill tenement housing where LePage once resided, and then on to the jail that once confined him while awaiting trial. Wrapping up the tour, our convoy makes a hard right turn and travels back into the Pembroke Library parking lot, and back into the present after a glimpse of life and a tragic death in 1875. Rest in peace, Josie Langmaid — you are not forgotten. NH

Top: Avree Kelly Clark, author of a book about the 1875 murder of Josie Langmaid (above), leads a tour in Pembroke that includes a visit to Langmaid’s grave.

Fright Night

Secrets from this year’s Haunted Overload will scare you stiff

BY EMILY REILY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW BOWEN

Eric Lowther loves the art of the scare. A Halloween mastermind and connoisseur of frights, the Exeter resident has been striking fear in the hearts of thousands since 2005 with Haunted Overload, an annual outdoor experience at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee.

Each Halloween, he takes his nationally renowned fright fest to the next level, mixing classic scares with mainstays like the colossal, four-story wooden skull and the Haunted Mansion. Feast upon macabre, possessed dolls, 30-foot-high ghosts, giant killer clowns, zombies, runaway murder trains, chain saw massacres and the odd headless horseman. About 30,000 people are expected this year.

To make sure you shiver, Lowther and about 80-100 Halloween-obsessed volunteers — actors and builders — have been dissecting one thorny fear possessed by many: wasps. This year’s production will feature the terrifying sound of thousands

of angry, buzzing wasps. And unlike real wasps, Lowther’s army of insects won’t go dormant at nightfall. Wasp nests can grow as big as basketballs, but these hives and its inhabitants are exponentially larger. (Think "The Fly," then multiply by 50).

Lowther’s uncanny ability to scare doesn’t mean he’s heartless: So far, Haunted Overload has raised about $600,000 for animal shelters like the Pope Memorial Humane Society.

Lowther has shared a gooey slice of what makes his haunted house tick, claiming that revealing inside information only makes people want to visit more.

“There’s nothing like being there. You can see it in video and photos, but it just doesn’t translate compared to actually being there,” Lowther says.

New Hampshire Magazine: How big are these wasp hives?

Eric Lowther: Each of the smaller hives is

about 8 or 9 feet wide by 8 feet tall. And the gigantic hive is 25 feet around and over 20 feet tall. Inside these hives are wasps, some of which are as tall as a person. We are 3D printing some wasps also that are pretty big, and then we are ordering some from a company that are 5 feet long.

NHM: What else will people see?

EL: There’s a witch house out there, and there’s another dilapidated barn that you go through. We’re making major renovations to the circus tent area. There's going to be a big tunnel full of these mime characters. I think patrons will notice a huge change when they come this year.

NHM: Where do you find doll props?

EL: There’s hundreds and hundreds of them. Some of them we got from antique stores. Some of them we customized ourselves by putting clay on the faces.

Who's that behind the creepy clown makeup? We'll never tell.

NHM: How do you make everything so lifelike?

EL: I like to make everything as artistic-looking as possible. I come up with different techniques for my volunteers to follow to make things look scary. A lot of them are artistic and very talented themselves, so it makes it easy and fun for them to follow the steps and put their own spin on certain props.

NHM: Do you have paid staff?

EL: It’s a very dedicated staff — it’s all volunteer. We give 10% right off the top of gross proceeds to the Pope Memorial Humane Society. All the money that I’d be paying in payroll can go directly to the shelter. It’s something that everybody can get behind and know that they’re volunteering their time. It’s a very worthwhile cause.

NHM: Do the actors make their own costumes?

EL: We attract the most passionate people, so everybody does their own costumes and makeup. Some people have masks. I run around with a chain saw all night, because I need to take the mask off if I need to deal with a problem. I don't want to have to mess with makeup.

NHM: Has a patron ever been so freaked out that they can’t even move? What do you do?

EL: We have to break character or take our mask off and just gently say, “Hey, you want to get out of here? We can lead you to the nearest exit.” And we walk them out. And by that time, they calm down. But sometimes they have panic attacks and don’t know what they’re in for and didn’t realize it would be that scary.

NHM: And actors aren’t allowed to touch people, correct?

EL: Right. People don’t really like being touched. We train them to scare in the right way. Because they’ll just fling their arms wildly, and actors can get hit if they’re not careful. It’s like an instinct reaction. People just throw the fists sometimes, not even meaning to.

NHM: It’s kind of an innate reaction.

EL: It’s like a roller coaster; you can be scared and get the adrenaline rush without knowing that you’re not really going to be in danger. It’s fun for the actors to get that adrenaline rush from the patrons, but it’s fun for the patrons to get that scare and that startle. It provides lifelong memories. People come up to me from years and years and years ago, and it’s burned in their mind. They’ll say, “The chain saw guy came out from this tunnel, and I was really scared and I’ll always remember that.”

NHM: What do you like about scaring people?

EL: All of the very cool reactions you get from patrons. People love being scared and will scream and jump, so it’s extremely fun when it works well.

NHM: I've heard Haunted Overload is extremely scary.

EL: The night one’s pretty intense. But we have Fright Night Lite, where everything is lit up, but all the actors aren’t chasing you with chain saws and stuff. It’s not so

scary that people are jumping out. That’s why we like to have the daytime (haunt) so that kids and parents, or people that just don’t like being scared, can walk around and enjoy it without the feeling of being totally terrified.

NHM: Have you been scared at other haunted houses?

EL: It’s hard for me to get scared, because I’m looking at the detail and how they’re running things. But if I do get startled, I’m like, “Oh, wow, that was a good one.” NH Visit hauntedoverload.com for tickets.

Fright Kingdom turns 20

If you’re craving even more haunts, the good folks at Fright Kingdom have got your number.

The Nashua haunted house is celebrating 20 years of terrorizing New Hampshire residents, and they’re just dying for you to join them.

Fright Kingdom boasts five attractions, each with its own tale of woe.

What’s affecting the poor townspeople in “Apocalypse Z?” See if you can avoid whatever IT is and try to get out alive. The use of video and special effects play a big role.

A diabolical family called the Bloodmares lives up to their name at “Bloodmare Manor,” a Victorian-style building with a dark secret.

A rundown old farm house with strange inhabitants has puzzled the town for 100 years. Now it’s your turn to investigate “The Abandoned.”

These are not your average clowns. “Psycho Circus” takes things nuclear, employing a haunted house with 3D capabilities, dizzying illusions, and clowns who are not there to wish you happy birthday. The “Grim” attraction, meanwhile, likes to “use the absence of light” as its weapon of choice.

Finally, watch as creatures crawl and scrape along the ground, spreading fear and whatever else is oozing out of their unearthly bodies at the Monster Midway.

Fright Kingdom, at 12 Simon St. in Nashua, is offering $20 tickets during its opening weekend Sept. 27-28. Visit frightkingdom.com for all the gory details.

Haunted Overload at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee relies on volunteers — and classic creepiness — to scare patrons.

BEER BEAT

There’s no need to leave New Hampshire to find great craft beer — the state is bursting with excellent local breweries. Here’s a number of great choices. Cheers!

BEER BEAT

As the vivid greens of summer start to lose their glisten and the warm hues of autumn twirl into the landscape with the awakening of peeper season and pumpkin everything, fall beer festivals make their way into some of the area’s best outdoor venues.

New Hampshire fall beer festivals are about more than just craft beer — they’re a celebration of community, the great outdoors and the harvest season. From the Canadian border to southern New Hampshire and the coast and mountains in between, these gatherings are where families, friends and beer enthusiasts come together to create memories against the backdrop of New Hampshire’s stunning fall scenery.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

KENDAL J. BUSH

Manchester Arms Park Brew Fest

Pulsing in the heart of Manchester, the Manchester Arms Park Brew Fest takes full advantage of its scenic riverside setting. With more than 70 breweries participating, the festival is a favorite for its stunning views and the variety of beers.

The setting here — right by the river, with a mix of colorful murals, Millyard history and open green spaces — makes it an ideal place to spend an afternoon.

The festival draws a diverse crowd, from local families to visitors from neighboring states.

Pam Morose splits her time between Massachusetts and St. Thomas, working as a chef and cicerone (think sommelier for wine but for beer), who is passionate about food and beer.

“I bought my tickets in May to come up here. It’s an easy Saturday afternoon,” Morose said. “It brings people together, and that’s always a good thing. And you don’t see anybody sad here; everybody is just hanging out and having a good time.”

As she headed into the massive beer tent to try a new brew in her 3-ounce tasting glass, Pam remarked, “I love the science of beer. Everybody here brings something

different to the table, and that’s what I love and that’s why I’m here.”

“This is one of the best,” Ken said. “It’s consistent, and the people are very welcoming.”

Multigenerational groups of festival-goers are a common sight at all of the festivals. Jim Keeley and his group of family and friends enjoy sample sips as they enjoy a view of the Merrimack River. Closer to the sprawling beer tent, Polly and Ron Bath were all smiles as they contemplated their next beer selections.

“It’s not about coming here to drink as much as you can; it’s about coming here for the experience,” Polly said. “I love that young people are getting into this and are making things that are wonderful. They’re brave, always inventive, and we can all enjoy it together, so there’s really no generation gap here, which to me is fabulous.”

Between sips, attendees can hop on over to enjoy some live music on the main stage, throw an ax or two, or pick up a few medieval weapon-maneuvering moves as the New England Steel Fighters steal the show, wielding large swords and weapons in all-around medieval mayhem while donned in full armor. The charity organization is focused on bringing awareness to veterans’ issues.

Clockwise from above:

Hloni Sedie from Stark Brewery pulls a sample for an enthusiastic Pam Morose.

The New England Steel Fighters “steel” the show at the 2023 festival.

Queen City native and owner of Stark Brewery, festival organizer, Peter Telge.

Twins Meghan and Caitlin Dudley (Grey Shirt) from Darbster Rescue come out to socialize the dogs and spread the word about rescue opportunities.

Jim Keeley {upper row, center,} and his multi-generational group of family and friends frequent beer festivals together, pictured sitting on the painted stairs at Arms Park.

Queen City native and owner of Stark Brewery Peter Telge has run the festival for the majority of its existence, and also has a sharp focus on giving back.

“I think it’s important to give back to the community some way, somehow,” Telge said.

This year’s festival benefits the Friends of the Manchester Animal Shelter.

WHEN: Sept. 21, 1-4 p.m. (VIP starts at noon)

WHERE: Arms Park, Manchester WEB: manchesterbrewfest.com

603 Brewery’s Fall Fest Block Party

At the 603 Brewery in Londonderry, the annual 603 Fall Fest Block Party is a heartfelt nod to traditional German festivities with a New England twist. Here, the staff pours their passion into creating an event that resonates deeply with the origins of Oktoberfest, celebrating the hop harvest and the brewing culture.

“We go all out because we care deeply about this festival. It’s about more than beer; it’s about celebrating tradition and making it accessible to everyone,” 603 Head Brewer Doug Pominville said.

The festival features homemade schnitzel and hop-infused beer cheese, creating a culinary experience that complements the wide array of beers on tap.

The dog-friendly family environment

at 603 radiates a welcoming, laid-back backyard vibe. Last October, first-time festival-goer Jen Wagner came with her family and their new French bulldog rescue, Sansa.

“It’s fantastic; it’s a great family atmosphere, fun to hang out, have some laughs and some drinks, and meet all the dogs,” Wagner said.

The inclusive setting is welcoming to pet owners, who appreciate the chance to bring their dogs along.

“We love that we can bring our pets. It’s not just about enjoying a beer; it’s about advocating for rescue animals in a community setting,” said Matthew Apkarian, who was enjoying some quality time with his wife, Brittney, and their pitbull rescue, Barney.

WHEN: Oct. 5, starting at noon

WHERE: 603 Brewery & Beer Hall, Londonderry WEB: 603brewery.com

Doug and Theresa Pominville and their newest family addition sporting full Oktoberfest attire in dirndls and lederhosen.

Friends enjoy the block-party environment at 603’s fall festival.

Sam Wagner shines a big smile for a photo with his new dog Sansa.

Matthew and his pitbull rescue, Barney, make new friends with Andre and his new puppy, Feather.

Clockwise, from bottom left:

Powder Keg Beer and Chili Festival

As the season progresses, the Powder Keg Beer and Chili Festival in Exeter introduces a fiery twist to the fall festival lineup. Combining craft beer with gourmet chili, the festival offers a palate-pleasing adventure set to the tune of live music and bustling activity.

First-time festival vendor Jasmine Patel, founder of Omnium Brewing, enjoys the opportunity to share and pair menu items from their Somersworth location, including her chili. Likewise, participating Chef Adam Sainsbury, who uses stout beer in his chili recipe, shared his excitement and his chili as a first-timer at the festival. And whether you like your chili spicy or mild, the beers are best served cold. Volunteer Mark Schultz has been shoveling ice for vendors every year, rain or shine, since the festival began.

Local residents Jay and Courtney Lodico are also regulars who never miss the oppor-

tunity to enjoy the festival with friends.

“It’s an incredible celebration of town, community and folks who are like-minded in this space,” Jay said at last year’s event. “It’s a great event for the local small businesses to get involved with, and big beer brands really bring the whole town together.”

“We don’t miss it! This is our favorite,” Courtney added. “The town does a great job of making it new and fresh every year, and it’s one of the most important days on our social calendar.”

The couple shares the tradition with friends who look forward to keeping their outfits fresh as well by adding a new element to the costume each year. Last year’s additions were beer and pretzel earrings and Oktoberfest hats. NH

WHEN: Oct. 5, noon to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Swasey Parkway, Exeter WEB: powderkegbeerfest.com

Looking for more beer festivals?

Schilling Oktoberfest — 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sept. 28. This festival at Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton features two sampling sessions, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $85 and $15 for designated drivers. (Schillingbeer.com)

16th Annual New Hampshire Brewfest — noon to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 12. Held on the grounds of Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth. Sample craft brews from New England and beyond. Tickets are $80 for VIP, $60 general admission and $20 for designated drivers. (nhbrewfest.com)

Clockwise from far left:

Chef Adam Sainsbury offers samples of his chili made with Stout beer.

From left to right, festival veterans Kathy and David Neils, Courtney and Jay Lodico, Brad and Danielle Henrick, Maddie Lodico and Jessie Corriveau gather at Swasey Park overlooking the Squamscott River. Volunteer Mark Schultz keeps the beer cold delivering ice to all of the vendors. Enthusiastic festival goers support the festival rain or shine.

FALL FOLIAGE HIKES AND DRIVES OFFER SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S SEASON OF GLORY

BY JILL ARMSTRONG

To the observer perched on a rocky overlook in autumn, the sprawling woodland landscape explodes with color. From the vantage point of a forest trail far below, the patterns of red, yellow and orange decorating outstretched branches ignite the sun-dappled canopy above. It’s no wonder that millions of visitors flock to the state every year to bear witness to this natural phenomenon.

For those interested in viewing the foliage up close, consider one of these family-friendly treks across the state. And for those who might enjoy a meandering journey through charming towns and dramatic mountain scenery, jump in the car for a driving tour through some of New England’s most picturesque regions. Better yet, why not try both? Grab a friend and explore the best New Hampshire has to offer in the fall.

Mount Morgan & Percival HOLDERNESS

Length: 5.5-mile loop

Estimated Time: 4½ hours

This lengthier loop trail, which bags two peaks in the Lakes Region, provides picture-perfect views of Squam Lake, its shores glowing with lush foliage in the fall. Hikers will begin this outing on the Mount Percival Trail leaving from the Percival parking area. A short distance in, turn left on the Morse trail, a half-mile meandering connector that leads to the Mount Morgan Trail, providing a moderate climb through the forest.

After meeting the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, hikers will have the option for an adventurous spur trail leading toward a series of ladders, boulder caves and steep ledge scrambles or a more gradual route to the summit.

Enjoy views of Squam Lake and Lake Winnipesaukee in the distance in addition to the Belknap and Ossipee Ranges before continuing the traverse to Mount Percival, a shorter summit by 13 feet with similar views.

On the descent, an alternate route provides the daring with another steep and challenging descent through boulder caves, although be aware of this section when wet.

Insider Tip: Book a guided boat cruise with the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center to learn about the natural history of the lake and view the foliage from the water

PHOTO BY JIM SALGE

Square Ledge

PINKHAM’S GRANT

Length: 1.1 miles out and back • Estimated Time: 1 hour

Square Ledge, known for its flat, cliff-top summit, offers impressive views of Mount Washington and the sprawling wilderness — sure to be ablaze in all its riotous glory — lining Pinkham Notch below. Hikers will begin this short yet rugged excursion on the Long Pond Trail directly across from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.

After crossing a bridge over the Ellis River, the Square Ledge Trail diverges left and climbs moderately, passing a short spur path to the “Ladies Lookout” viewpoint and later “Hangover Rock,” a large boulder that juts out above the trail, before ascending to the base of the ledge. Scramble up a series of boulders alongside the cliff for the final ascent to this ledge, perched at 2,421 feet.

Insider Tip: Grab a photo of the foliage surrounding the cascades at Thompson Falls, another short hike that begins from Wildcat Mountain Ski Area just north on Route 16.

PHOTO BY COREY McMULLEN

Great North Woods Ride

Length: 120 miles

For a true wilderness experience this fall-foliage season, with ample opportunities to spot wildlife, head to the Great North Woods. This driving tour of New Hampshire’s northernmost region starts from Gorham on Route 16, passing through Berlin, Milan and the Thirteen Mile Woods scenic stretch, following the Androscoggin River, to Errol. Continue west through Dixville Notch for stunning views of the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel (currently closed) before breaking at the Dixville Notch Wayside or Little Flume parking areas for a quick jaunt to cascading waterfalls. After reaching Colebrook, the journey travels south parallel the meandering Connecticut River through Stark and back to Berlin.

Insider Tip: Take a detour to visit the famed Moose Alley, a 12-mile stretch of road and woods, north of Pittsburg where moose are often spotted.

PHOTO BY KINDRA CLINEFF

Black Cap

NORTH CONWAY

Length: 2.5 miles out and back with summit loop

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Navigating through forests of beech and red oak, hikers are sure to see vibrant color on this less-frequented trail even before reaching the summit. At 2,370 feet, Black Cap is the highest peak in the Green Hills Preserve, 5,500 acres of land owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy.

The red-blazed Black Cap Trail begins across the street from the parking lot at the height of the notoriously steep and winding Hurricane Mountain Road. Follow the trail for less than a mile before veering left to traverse the open ledges, which offer panoramic views of the surrounding Mount Washington Valley.

From the summit, take Black Cap Spur to Black Cap Connector. Turn right to follow the connector trail to complete the short loop before meeting the Black Cap Trail again for an easy descent to the road.

Insider Tip: View the foliage from the seat of a train car by booking an excursion on the Conway Scenic Railroad. Trains depart from the iconic yellow station in North Conway Village.

PHOTO BY JIM SALGE

The White Mountains Trail Scenic Byway

Length: 100 miles

Consistently rated as one of the best places to see fall foliage in the Northeast, the White Mountains region of New Hampshire is an incredibly popular place to visit. This loop tour, which winds through some of the most picturesque sections of the 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, begins at the visitor center in North Woodstock and passes through popular towns such as Bretton Woods, North Conway and Lincoln, ending with the iconic 34-mile stretch of the Kancamagus Highway. Make sure to set aside a full day to get out, stretch those legs, and enjoy some of the natural wonders along this route: the towering granite walls at the Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch, the bubbling waters of the Saco River in Crawford Notch State Park, and the dramatic mountain views from Kancamagus Pass (shown here), the crest of the highway nearing 3,000 feet in elevation.

Insider Tip: Take a gondola ride at Bretton Woods Ski Area for unobstructed views of the Presidential Range, including Mount Washington and the iconic red-roofed hotel.

PHOTO BY JOE KLEMENTOVICH

The Coastal Byway Route

Length: 18 miles

To take full advantage of the bursting colors later in the season, enjoy an afternoon drive along this scenic route. From Seabrook to the Maine border, follow Route 1A past rocky points, grassy marshes and sandy beaches.

This drive features a number of state parks for opportunities to stop, stretch the legs and admire the views, both on land and at sea. Families will enjoy a trip to Odiorne Point State Park for a chance to search the tidepools, explore the coastal hiking trails, or experience the hands-on exhibits at the Seacoast Science Center.

Highlights also include Rye (Rye Harbor shown above), New Castle and Portsmouth, coastal towns rich in history that all celebrated their 400th anniversaries last year.

Insider Tip: After the drive, enjoy dinner at one of the James Beard nominated restaurants in Portsmouth, including Moxy, Black Trumpet and Vida Cantina.

PHOTO BY KINDRA CLINEFF

Mount Kearsarge

WILMOT

Length: 2.9-mile loop

Estimated Time: 2½ hours

With its open granite summit affording extensive views, including the White Mountains to the north and the Green Mountains to the west, it’s no wonder Mount Kearsarge is one of the most popular hikes in southern New Hampshire.

From the parking area at Winslow State Park, follow the red-blazed Winslow Trail for 1.1 miles through forest and over ledges to the wide summit marked by a fire tower. With 1,100 vertical feet to climb, hikers must navigate a few steep sections on this trail before reaping the rewards.

After a recommended picnic lunch at the top, take the Barlow Trail, marked with yellow blazes, for a 1.8-mile gradual descent to the lot. Don’t forget to stop and enjoy several viewpoints along the way back down.

Insider Tip: Celebrate local traditions and hop on over to the 77th annual Warner Fall Foliage Festival between October 11-13.

PHOTO BY DAVID BROWNELL

Monadnock Region Loop Scenic Drive

Length: 80 miles

For a tour of small, quintessential New England towns featuring historic downtowns, steepled churches and fields lined with stone walls, the Monadnock Region is not to be missed this time of year.

Beginning in Keene, this scenic drive passes by Monadnock State Park, home to one of the most-climbed mountains in the world; Peterborough, a cultural hub with its boutiques, galleries and antique shops; and the picture-perfect towns of Greenfield, Hancock and Marlow.

At the start, opt to veer off Route 101 to visit any of the four covered bridges in Swanzey (including the Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge, shown here), framed by lush amber, gold and crimson leaves. Consider booking an overnight stay in one of the many quaint inns scattered throughout the region.

Insider Tip: Hike or drive to the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory in Miller State Park to witness the spectacle of the fall hawk migration in addition to the changing colors of the season.

PHOTO BY JERRY MONKMAN

Tips for Travelers

To have the best foliage experience possible this season, consider some of these tips before hitting the road or trail!

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace, an initiative dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation, involves minimizing impacts on natural resources. Tenets of the program include disposing of waste properly, respecting wildlife and traveling on established trails. This practical set of rules is in place to protect the wilderness, so future generations may enjoy the natural beauty for generations to come.

Know Before You Go

Plan ahead before leaving the house. Research the route, know where to park and pack the proper gear for the season and activity. Check the weather conditions prior to departing, but also prepare for rapid weather changes when recreating in higher elevations. Cellphone service, especially in the White Mountains, can be spotty, so download maps ahead of time. A little bit of preplanning can go a long way for ensuring a fun and safe day out.

Always Have a Backup Plan

Several areas across the state have dealt with overcrowding issues, even before the pandemic. Since some parking lots fill up fast during peak foliage season, be prepared with an alternate plan to visit less popular locations. The view might not match that exact post from Instagram, but the experience will be much more enjoyable without the crowds.

Travel Midweek

Another way to avoid the crowds, on both the roads and the trails, is by traveling to popular attractions midweek, affording more time playing in nature and less time sitting in traffic.

Get Off the Main Road

Don’t be afraid to venture down country farm roads in sleepy towns. Veering off the main route can often lead to hidden gems and other welcome surprises. Take this sage advice, and choose the road less traveled. For some, that will make all the difference. NH

than a decade. She is an avid contributor on Find a Grave, a website where people on genealogical quests can find memorials, gravesites and cemetery records of deceased family members, and is a member of the New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association (NHOGA).

Carol joined NHOGA because they teach members the basics of graveyard preservation and were already doing what she wanted to do.

“It’s not an interest that’s valued very highly,” Carol says. “People say ‘Oh, that’s weird, why are you bothering? They’re dead.’ Someday, you’ll be there, and your stone will look like crap, and maybe you’ll say, ‘It’d be nice if someone came along and cleaned my stone.’”

“These are all people that once walked around this town,” says Carol, gesturing to the rows of headstones that stretch to either end of the cemetery. “They have descendants alive today. Don’t write them off because they’re dead.”

The Graveside Ladies aren’t just wandering through New Hampshire’s cemeteries and graveyards at random. They usually start by cleaning the grave of a distant relative, and while they’re there, they make note of other headstones that are in need of help. Sometimes, they’ll feel called to a particular stone, but oftentimes it’s more randomized. Ideally, they’ll get permission from a descendant, or through a trustee of the site, but permissions vary on a cemetery-by-cemetery basis.

They haven’t been met with any pushback, but sometimes towns won’t grant them permission to clean, out of fears that they’ll use bleach and other harmful cleaning agents, or will power-wash the stones.

“We’re not going to mess it up,” Sara says. “We’ve taken classes and attended workshops. We use the same cleaning products they use at Arlington National Cemetery, and our brushes aren’t any stronger than something you would use on your car or dishes.”

Using only plastic spatulas, dish brushes, water, the biological cleaning solution D/2 and time, Carol and Sara are able to gently remove damaging lichens from headstones, so the names

Opposite: Carol Richard (left) and Sara Richard (right) smile next to the Starrett family’s recently cleaned family memorial.

Above: The marble headstone of Mary Duncklee was cleaned by the Graveside Ladies, and shines like new months later.

603 Living

All Things Pumpkin

BY ELISA GONZALES VERDI

Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins reign supreme every October. Amid the fall festivals celebrating the foliage and harvest season, New Hampshire has two storied festivals that celebrate all things pumpkin.

New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival • Laconia

Give or take a COVID year, the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival has been a Laconia staple since 2015. The event is put on for the community, by the community, and celebrates all things pumpkin.

Karmen Gifford, the president of the Lakes Region Chamber (which is the official organizer of the NH Pumpkin Festival) says that the event doesn’t just celebrate pumpkins — it also celebrates artistry.

“The majority of this year’s events will take place on Saturday, but displays will be put up earlier in the week,” Gifford says.

One of the festival’s biggest attractions is the pumpkin carving competition, which is all about artistry.

“We’ve seen people punch holes use dotting in their designs,” Gifford says. “We’ve also seen people cut out parts of the pumpkins and adhere them on to make 3D faces. Some people carving them with chain saws, which is a loud display.”

Annually, Gifford sees hundreds of pumpkins carved by businesses, students and

carving professionals alike. If you’re looking to up your pumpkin-carving game this year, here are her tips for carving a pumpkin that you’ll be proud to display.

1. Be creative

Decide if you want to do a scary pumpkin or a whimsical one before you carve.

2. Pick the right pumpkin

Make sure it’s the right size for what you want to cut. If you’re making a scary pumpkin, the ones with the big bumps can add to the character of what you’re carving and can play into the design.

3. Stencil and sketch

If you have a vision for your design, draw it out and stencil it on the pumpkin before you start carving. Make sure you factor in what lights you want to use inside of the pumpkin, because that can have an effect on your overall design. You have to have a plan, or, if you’re feeling creative, just decide right then and there and see how it comes out!

Left: Pumpkins on display during the NH Pumpkin Festival. Above: Carved pumpkins are aglow at night.

The 40th Return of the Pumpkin People • Jackson

For the past 40 years, pumpkin people have taken over the town of Jackson. For a full month, Pumpkin People make Jackson their home, and they can be found all over town. Visitors can pick up a map and take themselves on a self-guided tour of scenic Jackson, while spotting the Pumpkin People along the way.

“The Pumpkin People were created to help get people up to Jackson during the fall foliage season,” says Kathleen Flammia, the executive director of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce.

What started as a small event with 12 participating businesses and a hand-drawn map, but in the past 21 years, has grown into an event that attracts well over 30,000 visitors to the Jackson area every year.

Flammia saw the Pumpkin People’s potential, and knew that it could be something huge.

“ The Snowflake Inn, The Inn at Jackson and Inn at Ellis River put a lot of work into their pumpkin people,” Flammia says. “The displays were incredible, and people started joining in. Each year they became cleverer and more exciting to see. The anticipation was growing every year, and the state asked us to extend (the event) until the end of the month. (Every year) it keeps growing, and has a life of its own.”

For their 40th, the Pumpkin People will return for the entire month of October, but the Jackson Chamber of Commerce has plans for a full two-month celebration, opening with a kickoff party that was held on

September 1 and runs through October 31.

“All month long, different establishments are hosting pumpkin events,” Flammia says.

There’s no shortage of things to do during the festival. From the All Things Pumpkin Festival, the pumpkin-carving competition, the trail of terror and the all-things-pumpkin tour, there is pumpkin fun all month long.

“If you find the golden pumpkin, you could win a great vacation in Jackson,” Flammia says. “You can win a lot of great prizes and meet the businesses.”

“All the Pumpkin People will be ready all through October,” Flammia adds. “Make sure that you vote for people’s choice. The overall winner gets to be on the cover of the map next year!” NH

PHOTO BY JOHN KOZIOL

Jackson’s beloved fall tradition, the Return of the Pumpkin People, is back for a special 40th anniversary season.

POWER PINK SCREEN TIME

Early detection is the best defense for fighting breast cancer. New Hampshire health providers offer the latest screening technology and innovative treatment options.

It’s the appointment that could save your life. Regular screening for breast cancer is the most important step women can take to protect themselves from a disease that kills an average of 173 women in New Hampshire every year, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The Granite State is also home to nearly 18,000 breast cancer survivors.

“Most breast cancers (76 percent) are found in the early stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful,” according to a fact sheet at dhhs.nh/gov.

On the following pages, read about the groundbreaking clinical trials underway in New Hampshire and providers who offer state-of-the art screening technology.

BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS

A New Trial for “TRIPLE NEGATIVE” at Dartmouth Cancer Center

Apromising multi-site clinical trial that has just opened at lead site Dartmouth Cancer Center looks to bring an innovative treatment strategy to one of the most challenging forms of breast cancer.

But to principal investigator Linda Vahdat, MD, the trial is not “new.” A prominent breast cancer medical oncologist, clinical researcher and deputy director of Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dr. Vahdat’s pioneering work in metals and cancer has been paving the way toward new hope in triple-negative breast cancer treatment for more than 10 years.

No targets, no arrows

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) sets itself apart as it lacks three receptors known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen, progesterone and the HER2 protein. The absence of targets makes standard hormonal therapies such as tamoxifen and anastrozole, as well as Herceptin for HER2+ cancers ineffective, narrowing treatment options for patients.

“Triple-negative doesn’t follow the typical patterns, which presents unique challenges that require unique approaches,” Dr. Vahdat says. “We’re exploring the potential of copper depletion as one of these novel strategies.”

“I love metals”

Dr. Vahdat’s career work focuses on the premise that copper, an essential mineral in all body tissues, plays a key role in cancer’s ability to spread, or metastasize. Her current research centers around Tetrathiomolybdate (TM), an investigational anti-copper drug compound

previously seen to keep tumors in a dormant state by disrupting the cancer growth environment and preventing the spread.

“By reducing copper levels with TM, we aim to cut off the essential resources cancer cells need, making it difficult for the tumor to grow and spread,” Dr. Vahdat explains. In this particular trial, she will build on previous success of proving this concept by comparing the addition of TM to standardof-care therapy. Eligible patients are those with triple-negative breast cancer who have residual disease after completing standard neoadjuvant therapy, or treatment given as a first step to shrink the tumor before surgery.

Building blocks

The registered name of the trial is “Novel Targeting of the Microenvironment to Decrease Metastatic Recurrence of High-Risk TNBC: A Randomized Phase II Study of Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) Plus

Capecitabine in Patients with Breast Cancer at High Risk of Recurrence.” The “TM Copper Trial” as it’s casually known, builds on the insights gained from a successful Phase II trial led by Dr. Vahdat a decade ago at Weill Cornell Medicine, which showed extended periods without cancer recurrence in patients who underwent copper depletion.

“Our earlier efforts have been foundational,” Dr. Vahdat reflects. “We now have a trial enrolling patients at multiple leading cancer centers that seeks to deepen and broaden our understanding of how copper depletion can be harnessed in treating TNBC.”

With the green light from the FDA in June of this year, the trial is set to enroll participants over the next five years, focusing on the safety, effectiveness and overarching goal of preventing metastasis of TNBC.

There is still a long journey ahead, but the “TM Copper Trial” represents a significant leap forward in the quest to uncover effective treatments for TNBC. “Our aim transcends managing the condition,” says Vahdat. “We’re striving to outpace it.”

Those facing triple-negative breast cancer have a new glimpse into a future where more effective treatment strategies are within reach. We are moving closer to a day when TNBC can be effectively managed, and its spread effectively prevented.

Breast Cancer CLINICAL TRIALS at Dartmouth Cancer Center

Clinical trials play a crucial role in advancing cancer treatment and care. Dartmouth Cancer Center, renowned for its comprehensive breast cancer research, offers nearly 20 clinical trials in this area alone, addressing needs from surgical innovations to testing new drugs.

For surgeons

Oncology surgeon Richard J. Barth, Jr., MD, wanted to help find a more accurate method of performing breast cancer lumpectomies to reduce the need for a second surgery. Recognizing that the issue was about placement and imagery led to an innovation called the Breast Cancer Locator (BCL). Years later, the BCL is now in a large clinical trial with sugeons from cancer centers around the country to evaluate the tool’s safety and effectiveness in subjects with non-palpable invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Industry-sponsored

While some clinical trials are designed and initiated at Dartmouth Cancer Center (called “investigator-initiated trials”), Dartmouth Cancer Center also engages in industry-sponsored trials, such as one led by Linda Vahdat, MD, in partnership with Pfizer. This trial focuses on a new medicine for ER+/HER2- recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, aiming to compare its performance with the standard drug, fulvestrant.

Who are PHOEBE, GERTRUDE and ESTHER?

A whole series of interventional clinical trials explore the effectiveness of combining or adding drugs to standard treatments across various subcategories of breast cancer. These trials are commonly

known by women’s names, taken from letters in the registered name of the trial.

“Phase II Study of Estradiol Therapy to Target ER + Metastatic Breast Cancer” is referred to as, you guessed it, the “ESTHER trial.”

The ESTHER trial investigates the potential of estradiol, a naturally occurring estrogen hormone, in treating ER+ breast cancer in postmenopausal patients.

And don’t forget DEBRA

Radiation therapy has been widely used to treat breast cancer for many years. That doesn’t mean experts know everything. They are still learning. And learning is done through clinical trials. Radiation oncologist and clinical researcher Lesley Jarvis, MD, PhD, is leading “De-Escalation of Breast Radiation Trial for Hormone Sensitive, HER-2 Negative, Oncotype Recurrence Score 18 Breast Cancer (DEBRA).” This trial examines the possibility of reducing radiation exposure in patients with low-risk, hormone receptor-positive, earlystage breast cancer by evaluating the efficacy of hormonal therapy alone after surgery, compared to the usual combination of surgery, radiation and hormonal therapy.

Not always about treatment

While new treatments cannot reach patients without clinical trials, trials like the one led by Courtney Stevens, PhD, look into enhancing self-care among breast cancer survivors. This particular study aims to promote physical activity through a novel smartwatch app, “PHITbit,” designed to encourage exercise based on survivors’ feelings towards physical activity.

For more details on active clinical trials at Dartmouth Cancer Center, including these and many others, visit cancer.dartmouth.edu.

From the Lab: The Close-up on How it Works

Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is a copper chelation (bonding) compound used to treat Wilson’s disease, a hereditary copper metabolism disorder. Preclinical (animal) studies of breast cancer and studies of human patients with breast cancer showed that depleting copper decreases the availability of the infrastructure that’s necessary for tumor growth and spread.

TM prevents the creation of the local neighborhoods that cancer cells need to mobilize and create in order to grow and spread. This includes effects on bone marrow cells called HPCs (hematopoietic progenitor cells), which prepare sites in distant organs to receive migrating cancer cells. These bone marrow cells also recruit other cells called EPCs (endothelial progenitor cells) that activate an “angiogenic switch” that establishes blood vessels at the new site to feed the cancer cells.

Early research showed that immediately before cancer recurrence, levels of both HPCs and EPCs spike. However, copper is critical to mobilizing these cells, suggesting that copper depletion should be studied. Copper is also used to produce the fuel that allows cancer cells to travel to other sites, and it helps to create a welcoming environment for cancer cells by remodeling the collagen microenvironment.

Copper depletion appears to inhibit the production, release and mobilization of EPCs from the bone marrow, leading to a suppressed angiogenic switch and promotion of tumor dormancy.

Bella Intimates

Bella Intimates, an award-winning intimate apparel boutique located in Rye, NH, is dedicated to offering the best possible post mastectomy services and products to cancer survivors.

After seeing how much a proper fitting bra can make a difference for a woman, the owner made it her mission to offer the same experience to women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Bella Intimates assists their clients with restoring their positive body image and renewed confidence in a feminine intimate setting. They listen to each clients’ individual needs and offer products which can best help them regain confidence and help with their physical and emotional healing.

A Wig Center

Catering to men, women and children for all types of hair replacement needs. We are an in-network provider with Anthem, Cigna and Harvard Pilgrim.

Available by appointment Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

What Does Breast Cancer Look Like?

BY LANA SHIKHMAN, MD, FACS, OF ELLIOT BREAST HEALTH CENTER

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer. If you suspect you have breast cancer, schedule a doctor’s appointment right away. Early detection is key to successful treatment.

Signs and Symptoms

• Breast cancer can appear in several ways:

• A breast lump or thickened area of skin that feels different from the surrounding tissue

• A nipple that looks flattened or turns inward

• Changes in the color of the breast skin

• Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast

• Changes to the skin over the breast

• Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the skin on the breast

Importance of Mammograms

Regular mammograms can detect breast cancer before symptoms develop and are critical for early detection of breast cancer. The American College of Radiology and American Society of Breast Surgeons recommend that women aged 40 and above should start screening mammograms every year until a shared decision between provider and patient is made to discontinue them.

U.S. breast cancer death rates have been declining for several decades due to advancements in prevention, early detection and treatment. Remember to schedule your mammogram, and be sure that those around you do the same.

Learn more about the Elliot Breast Health Center at ElliotHospital.org/BreastHealth.

Elliot Breast Health Center at River’s Edge Manchester, NH | (603) 668-3067

ElliotHospital.org/BreastHealth

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDAL J BUSH

A life-extending EXPERIMENT

Cancer kept at bay with copper-chelating treatment

By Sarah Pearson

Acancer diagnosis of any kind is concerning, but when you hear that you have stage-four breast cancer, it can feel like a death sentence.

“When you’re given a diagnosis of stage four, you really think, OK, I’ve got a few years, and then I’m done,” says Martha Bruehl, 67, of Cornwall, Conn., who discovered a lump in her left breast in 2004. “This has been 20 years.”

“I’ll meet people who say, ‘Oh, I was just diagnosed with breast cancer,” Bruehl says. “And I’ll say, ‘Well, 20 years at stage four, and I’m still here,’ and that’s because of all the new medications and treatments and this clinical trial.”

She discovered a lump in her left breast in 2004, just months after she’d gone for a mammogram in the fall of 2003 that had come back normal. Her doctor sent her for another mammogram, where they noticed something suspicious. A radiologist did an inconclusive biopsy, but they advised her not to ignore it.

So, Bruehl saw Dr. Barbara Ward, a breast surgeon in Greenwich, Conn., who did a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. A PET scan and CAT scan followed.

Breast cancer cells were discovered in her lymph nodes and liver, resulting in the stagefour diagnosis.

The five-year survival rate for breast cancer cases that have spread to lymph nodes and liver is 31% but rises to 99% for cases that are still isolated to the breast.

Bruehl completed six months of chemotherapy and a follow-up PET scan showed the metastatic cancer cells were gone from her liver.

For the next three years, Bruehl followed up with adjuvant therapy and regular scans. But then, the cancer cells returned.

In 2007, Bruehl had surgery to remove a third of her liver, plus additional chemotherapy treatments.

During this time, she’d been referred to Dr. Linda Vahdat, who had a trial for a coppersuppressing agent (tetrathiomolybdate, known as TM). Bodies need copper for blood vessel growth, but it was found to have a connection to the metastasis of cells. By reducing the copper, the likelihood of cancer cells’ spread was decreased.

Bruehl visited Dr. Vahdat monthly in New York, then later in Connecticut for blood tests, a breast exam, and the next dose of TM.

In 2022, Dr. Vahdat was appointed deputy director of the Cancer Center and section chief of medical oncology at Dartmouth Health.

Bruehl is no longer part of the study on TM, but continues to take it and see Dr. Vahdat every three months, with calls and texts between checkups.

“I’ve been off trial for probably six years, but she still keeps me as a patient because I need somebody to give me the medication. I need somebody to monitor it,” Bruehl says.

Though she’s also had unrelated uterine and thyroid cancer, caught early thanks to regular scans, Bruehl’s breast cancer has not returned since she’s been taking the copperchelating drugs.

“I just saw another physician who was questioning the trial, and he said, ‘Does it work?’ He didn’t know anything about it,” Bruehl says. “I said, ‘Well, I’m alive and I’m here, so it’s got to work somehow.’ “

When she was diagnosed, Bruehl says she didn’t know anyone else with breast cancer,

Martha Bruehl, at right, with her children Sam and Liz.

so she joined a support group that she stayed involved with for more than 15 years. One silver lining of cancer, she says, is the friends she wouldn’t have otherwise made. She’s also fundraised through the American Cancer Society and tried to be a resource to others diagnosed with breast cancer.

“When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, and you’re having the chemo, that’s all you think about. And after a while, when you’re finished with the chemo, you realize, ‘Oh, I haven’t thought about it for a couple of days,’ and it gets more put into the back of your mind,” Breuhl says. “Now I don’t really think about it very much. … It’s in my past.”

These days, Bruehl is retired from spending 30 years as a school nurse. Her son and daughter moved close to her during COVID, and she stays active swimming, walking, knitting and babysitting her grandchildren, ages 1 and 4.

“I’m happy I met her (Dr. Vahdat). I’m happy that she took me on and kept me on as a patient,” Bruehl says. “And I’m happy of all her knowledge of what she’s doing with this trial, which she’s restarting again at Dartmouth (Health) for triple-negative breast cancer patients.”

Southern New Hampshire Radiology Consultants

BETSY ANGELAKIS, MD

Specializing in Chest and Breast Imaging

“Our caring, friendly and experienced staff will give you the highest quality care — at a low cost.”

• 3D Mammography

• Ultrasound

• General X-ray

• Bone Density

Smartshopper® incentive rewards may apply.

Appointments available today, New Patients Welcome!

703 Riverway Place, Bedford, NH 603-627-1661 • www.snhrc.com

Financial and Emotional Support During Breast Cancer Treatment

Our Mission

To provide financial and emotional support to BREAST CANCER

PATIENTS and their families on the seacoast of New Hampshire and in southern Maine

How We Help

Patient Assistance Grants: Help with housing payments, utility bills, groceries, household cleanings, and basic needs.

Hope Chests: We provide gift cards for gas, groceries, and other household necessities.

Wellness Programs: New Patient Bags are filled with comforting gifts and local resources. Funding for yoga classes and breast cancer retreats.

Tips for Your First (and Every) Mammogram

BY THE DENICOLA BREAST HEALTH CENTER

At the deNicola Breast Health Center at Southern New Hampshire Health, we strive to make your first and every mammogram as comfortable as possible. As a fully accredited Breast Center of Excellence, we offer the highest standard of care in breast ultrasound, breast MRI and mammography.

What to Expect

A certified technologist will guide you to a private room with a mammography machine designed specifically for breast imaging. The machine uses minimal X-ray exposure and compresses the breast to capture images from various angles. Though compression may be uncomfortable, it only lasts a few seconds per image. The entire procedure takes about 20 minutes.

Tips for a Smooth Mammogram

1. S chedule your mammogram for the week after your menstrual period to reduce breast tenderness.

2. Reduce caffeine intake a few days before and avoid deodorants, lotions or powders on the day of the mammogram.

3. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen an hour before.

4. Wear a two-piece outfit for easy top removal and leave jewelry at home.

5. C ommunicate any concerns or pain with the technologist.

6. Stay relaxed during the X-ray to minimize discomfort and ensure clear images.

Regular mammograms are crucial for early breast cancer detection. Call 603-577-2665 for more information or to schedule your mammogram with deNicola Breast Health Center.

deNicola Breast Health Center Nashua, NH | (603) 577-2000 SNHHealth.org/deNicola

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDAL J BUSH

2024 NEW HAMPSHIRE

FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS

These days, it takes a village to manage your financial world. Whether it is managing your assets with a wealth manager, navigating the ever-changing tax landscape, sorting out your estate and succession planning or picking the right life insurance, finding the right team can be a daunting task. In fact, many consumers have a hard time figuring out where to even begin.

Sometimes, a few simple questions can put you off on the right path. Asking a professional what makes working with them a unique experience can help you understand how they work and if their style meshes with your own.

This is a great place to start! Five Star Professional uses its own proprietary research methodology to name outstanding professionals, then works with publications such as New Hampshire Magazine to spread the word about award winners. Each award candidate undergoes a thorough research process (detailed here) before being considered for the final list of award winners. For the complete list of winners, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.

FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER

DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

Award candidates who satisfied 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. Eligibility Criteria – Required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards. 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 6. One-year client retention rate. 7. Five-year client retention rate. 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered. 9. Number of client households served. 10. Education and professional designations. 1,094 award candidates in the New Hampshire area were considered for the Five Star Wealth Manager award. 87 (approximately 8% of the award candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers.

In order to consider a broad population of high-quality wealth managers and investment professionals, award candidates are identified by one of three sources: firm nomination, peer nomination or prequalification based on industry standing. Self-nominations are not accepted. New Hampshire-area award candidates were identified using internal and external research data. Candidates do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final lists of Five Star Wealth Managers or Five Star Investment Professionals.

• The Five Star award is not indicative of a professional’s future performance.

• Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets.

• The inclusion of a professional on the Five Star Wealth Manager list or the Five Star Investment Professional list should not be construed as an endorsement of the professional by Five Star Professional or New Hampshire Magazine

• Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager, Five Star Investment Professional or any professional is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected professionals will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future.

• Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm and the content of this article should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star Wealth Manager or Five Star Investment Professional award programs, research and selection criteria, go to fivestarprofessional.com/research.

FIVE STAR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL

DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

The investment professional award goes to estate planning attorneys, insurance agents and select others in the financial industry. Eligibility Criteria – Required: 1. Credentialed with appropriate state or industry licensures. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 5. One-year client retention rate. 6. Five-year client retention rate. 7. Number of client households served. 8. Recent personal production and performance (industry specific criteria). 9. Education and professional designations/industry and board certifications. 10. Pro Bono and community service work. This year, we honored 1 New Hampshire-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

All award winners are listed in this publication.

Wealth Managers

Financial Planning

Colby Athanas · Morgan Stanley Page 5

Michael W. Beck LPL Financial

Christian A. Beliveau · LPL Financial

Jim Dearden · Baystate Financial

Colleen Farley · Robbins Farley Page 6

Duane Goodell · Optimum Wealth, LLC

Daniel Grossman · Financial Strategies Retirement Partners Page 3

John F. Habig · Morgan Stanley Page 4

Jeffrey W. Keefe · Whole Wealth Management, LLC Page 6

Cynthia L. Kordys · Cynthia L. Kordys, CTFA

Terence G. McCormick · Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/Centegrity Wealth Advisors Page 4

Nichole Raftopoulos · Nvest Financial, LLC Page 2

Michael S. Riddell · Northeast Planning Associates, Inc.

Investments

Lou Athanas Jr. · Morgan Stanley Page 5

Jeremy W. Benoit · Benoit Financial Planners Page 5

Ethan Betts · Baystate Financial

Patrick L. Curtin · Curtin Financial Services

Al Gilbert · Financial Strategies Retirement Partners Page 3

Wayne McCormick · McCormick Wealth Management of Steward Partners Page 6

Shawn Monty · Financial Strategies Retirement Partners Page 3

Andrew Marvin Rocco · Baystate Financial

Paul Stephen Stanley · Granite Bay Wealth Management, LLC

This award was issued on 09/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 12/12/2023 through 07/09/2024. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self1,094 New Hampshire-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 87 (8% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year 9%, 9/1/22, 12/20/21 - 6/17/22; 2021: 943, 96, 10%, 9/1/21, 11/30/20 - 6/25/21; 2020: 928, 91, 10%, 9/1/20, 12/9/19 - 7/1/20; 2019: 928, 85, 9%, 9/1/19, 11/19/18 166, 19%, 9/1/15, 2/6/15 - 7/19/15; 2014: 1,045, 189, 18%, 9/1/14, 2/6/14 - 7/19/14; 2013: 1,049, 204, 19%, 9/1/13, 2/6/13 - 7/19/13; 2012: 743, 170, 23%, 9/1/12,

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

WEALTH MANAGERS

Nvest Financial, LLC

Nvest is an independent financial boutique working with people just like you: diverse, financially established individuals, families, business owners and nonprofit organizations who demand the highest quality of service and attention to detail in their financial matters.

Founded in 2003, Nvest’s mission is built around providing clients with a holistic financial planning and investment experience. A team-centric approach allows Nvest to be a true financial partner with its clients.

Above all else, Nvest’s core values guide the team’s day-to-day activities, resulting in an experience like no other.

2 International Drive, Suite 110 • Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 207-985-8585 info@nvestfinancial.com www.planwithnvest.com

completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 1,017, 89, 9%, 9/1/23, 12/12/22 - 6/30/23; 2022: 979, 87, - 7/10/19; 2018: 955, 74, 8%, 9/1/18, 12/26/17 - 7/17/18; 2017: 739, 89, 12%, 9/1/17, 12/27/16 - 7/6/17; 2016: 666, 158, 24%, 8/1/16, 2/6/16 - 7/19/16; 2015: 853, 2/6/12 - 7/19/12.

registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 New Hampshire-area investment professional

Left to right: Justin Happ; Jordan Formichelli; Daphne Lafazan; Stacey DeBartolo; Meagan MacKinnon; George Raftopoulos; Dinon Hughes; 2017 – 2024 winner Nichole Raftopoulos; Phoebe Coburn; Christopher Spaziani; Mina Sullivan; Jack McGrath

WEALTH MANAGERS

Financial Strategies Retirement Partners

Financial Planning for Businesses and Individuals

Our passion is promoting financial wellness.

With decades of experience working with businesses and individuals, our team is committed to delivering solutions to meet clients’ specific goals and objectives. When working with individuals, we provide comprehensive financial planning services. For businesses, we provide 401(k) and 403(b) advice, employee education and act as co-fiduciaries on each retirement plan we serve. Our team appreciates the trust our clients have placed in us. We are pleased that Shawn, Al, Sarah and Daniel have received the 2024 Five Star Wealth Manager award and are honored to share it.

At FSRP, we are proud of our affiliation with Commonwealth Financial Network, the nation’s largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser and independent broker/dealer.

www.fsrp.net

This award was issued on 09/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 12/12/2023 through 07/09/2024. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self1,094 New Hampshire-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 87 (8% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year 9%, 9/1/22, 12/20/21 - 6/17/22; 2021: 943, 96, 10%, 9/1/21, 11/30/20 - 6/25/21; 2020: 928, 91, 10%, 9/1/20, 12/9/19 - 7/1/20; 2019: 928, 85, 9%, 9/1/19, 11/19/18 166, 19%, 9/1/15, 2/6/15 - 7/19/15; 2014: 1,045, 189, 18%, 9/1/14, 2/6/14 - 7/19/14; 2013: 1,049, 204, 19%, 9/1/13, 2/6/13 - 7/19/13; 2012: 743, 170, 23%, 9/1/12,

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

Lena Robinson; 2021 – 2024 winner Daniel Grossman, Partner, AIF®; 2020 – 2024 winner Sarah Kenda, Partner, AIF®; Dan Fraser, Jamie Perkins; 2012 – 2024 winner Shawn Monty, Managing Partner, CPWA®, C(k)P®, AIF®; Dave Prendergast, CFP®; (Not pictured: Michele Estey; Jim Monahan, CFP®; Ted Mulligan, CFP®; Jennifer Murray; Dotty Snook; Renee Talcott; Erica Warburton)

50 Nashua Road, Suite 112 Londonderry, NH 03053

Phone: 603-437-4558

terence.g.mccormick@ampf.com www.ameripriseadvisors.com/terence.g.mccormick

winner John F. Habig, Managing Director, Financial Advisor; Christopher Levin, CFP®*, FPS, Vice President, Portfolio Management Associate Director

One Harbour Place, Suite 125 Portsmouth NH 03801 Office: 603-422-8901

John.f.habig@morganstanley.com advisor.morganstanley.com/john.f.habig

Centegrity Wealth Advisors

wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

• Personalized financial planning

• Focused on client goals

• Experienced team of professionals

At Centegrity Wealth Advisors, we work with our clients to identify and document their financial

and

The Habig Group at Morgan Stanley

Wealth Management Solutions

• Senior Portfolio Management Director

• Managing Director — Wealth Management

John is a Managing Director, Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Management Director at Morgan Stanley and has been with the firm or its predecessor firms for over 35 years.

He has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with many high net worth clients. John’s goal is to understand your financial needs and then align those needs using the firm’s resources along with his professionalism, dedication, knowledge, and experience.  All of these things allow him to understand and assist you in developing and executing a strategy that is precisely your own and helps you achieve your goals.

completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 1,017, 89, 9%, 9/1/23, 12/12/22 - 6/30/23; 2022: 979, 87, - 7/10/19; 2018: 955, 74, 8%, 9/1/18, 12/26/17 - 7/17/18; 2017: 739, 89, 12%, 9/1/17, 12/27/16 - 7/6/17; 2016: 666, 158, 24%, 8/1/16, 2/6/16 - 7/19/16; 2015: 853, 2/6/12 - 7/19/12.

registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 New Hampshire-area investment professional

Left to right: Kasandra Taylor, Client Service Specialist; 2012, 2021 – 2024 winner Terence G. McCormick, Private Wealth Advisor, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, CLTC®; Spencer G. McCormick, Financial Advisor; Lindsay R. Pandiscio, Financial Advisor

Left to right: Kelly Curley, Portfolio Associate; Seven-year

WEALTH MANAGERS

Jeremy W. Benoit

Creating Financial Plans For Over 30 Years

At Benoit Financial Planners, we work with employers interested in providing employer-sponsored retirement plans for their employees, individuals and families who are interested in developing a plan to assist in achieving their financial goals.

The long-standing relationships we cultivate with clients are the foundation Benoit Financial Planners is built upon. With more than 65 years of combined financial services experience, our team strives to provide clients with exceptional service that is prompt, professional and friendly.

Our objective is to develop meaningful relationships built on integrity and proven long-term service. We hold the trust our clients place in us with the highest regard.

19 Chenell Drive, Suite 1A Concord, NH 03301

Phone: 603-506-6233 jeremy@benoitfp.com www.benoitfp.com

As independent advisors, our loyalties lie with our clients. We have no incentive to choose one company over another and believe the client should be in control of how best to use the resources available at Benoit Financial Planners. Our goal is to empower clients and facilitate a thorough working knowledge of their financial plans through ongoing education.

The Athanas Group at Morgan Stanley

This award was issued on 09/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 12/12/2023 through 07/09/2024. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self1,094 New Hampshire-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 87 (8% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year 9%, 9/1/22, 12/20/21 - 6/17/22; 2021: 943, 96, 10%, 9/1/21, 11/30/20 - 6/25/21; 2020: 928, 91, 10%, 9/1/20, 12/9/19 - 7/1/20; 2019: 928, 85, 9%, 9/1/19, 11/19/18 166, 19%, 9/1/15, 2/6/15 - 7/19/15; 2014: 1,045, 189, 18%, 9/1/14, 2/6/14 - 7/19/14; 2013: 1,049, 204, 19%, 9/1/13, 2/6/13 - 7/19/13; 2012: 743, 170, 23%, 9/1/12,

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is

Left to right: David Carter; Michelle Huffman; Elyse Wholey; Six-year winner Jeremy W. Benoit

Left to right: 2012 – 2024 winner Lou Athanas Jr., Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management Director, Financial Advisor; Jessica Parks, Client Service Associate; 2024 winner Colby Athanas,

1155 Elm Street, 4 th Floor Manchester, NH 03101

Phone: 603-945-3308

wayne.mccormick@stewardpartners.com www.mccormickwealth.net

Jeffrey W. Keefe

Senior Financial Advisor, AIF®, Founding Principal

• Fiduciary standard

• Comprehensive financial planning

• Investment management

• Tax-e icient retirement income planning

200 Marcy Street Portsmouth, NH 03801

Office: 603-766-8705

jkeefe@wholewealthmanagement.com www.wholewealthmanagement.com

Financial Well-being

Wayne McCormick

CFP®, ChFC®, Managing Director, Wealth Manager, Partner Integrity in Every Decision, Clarity in Every Plan.

• Independent, objective and unbiased

• Comprehensive financial planning

• Providing purpose, confidence and clarity

At McCormick Wealth Management, we help bring structure and organization to your financial world, making it easier to navigate and understand. We’re here to help you make informed decisions regarding your wealth and beyond because our clients are like family — celebrating together in the good times and supporting you through the more difficult times — and we’re honored to be with you through it all.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified finanCial Planner™, and the CFP® mark (with plaque design) in the U.S. Securities are offered through Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC (“SPIS”), registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (“SPIA”), an SEC-registered investment adviser. SPIS, SPIA, and Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC are affiliates and collectively referred to as Steward Partners.

Colleen Farley

At Whole Wealth Management, our only allegiance is to our clients and their financial wellbeing. As an independent financial advisor, we operate free of any corporate sales pressure or incentives. You can feel confident knowing that our advice is aligned with your best interest and tailored to meet your objectives in an optimal way.

Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Advisory services offered through Whole Wealth Management, LLC are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth Financial Network.

Managing Principal

6 Bedford Farms Drive, Suite 112 Bedford, NH 03110

Phone: 603-703-0256

colleen.farley@robbinsfarley.com www.robbinsfarley.com

Navigating Your Financial Future

Robbins Farley, LLC is a forward-thinking wealth management firm. We focus on a comprehensive wealth planning experience for clients and work to build and maintain long-term relationships. This long-term perspective means we are energized to work with professionals at all levels, including those just starting to save and invest outside of their 401(k)s and still be with them as we help turn today’s savings into tomorrow’s wealth.

Neither rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any designation or certification, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Robbins Farley is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers (see link as to participation data/criteria). Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, Robbins Farley did not pay a fee to be included on any such ranking. No ranking or recognition should be construed as a current or past endorsement of Robbins Farley by any of its clients.

completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 1,017, 89, 9%, 9/1/23, 12/12/22 - 6/30/23; 2022: 979, 87, - 7/10/19; 2018: 955, 74, 8%, 9/1/18, 12/26/17 - 7/17/18; 2017: 739, 89, 12%, 9/1/17, 12/27/16 - 7/6/17; 2016: 666, 158, 24%, 8/1/16, 2/6/16 - 7/19/16; 2015: 853, 2/6/12 - 7/19/12.

registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 New Hampshire-area investment professional

Two-year winner Wayne McCormick, CFP®, ChFC®, Managing Director, Wealth Manager, Partner

Wealth Managers

Frederick Ackley Boucher Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Elizabeth Ann Bowen Morgan Stanley

Nancy Catherine Burt Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Ryan Joseph Callaghan Harbor Group

Ryan F. Callahan Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Kim Elizabeth Castelo Lamb, Petersen & Mann Advisory Group

Gregory Scott Caulfield Morgan Stanley

Justin Douglas Champlain Arcadia Wealth Management

Nicolas Timmothy Crieg Curtis Seacoast Financial Planning

Leif Daulaire

Stephen G. Davis

James Theocharis Dimos

Michael T. Dimos Baystate Financial

Gary Stephen Dionne Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mike P. Doyle Harbor Group

Scott Lee Dudley LPL Financial

William John Dulmage Sax Wealth Advisors, LLC

Eric Mcguire Ellis Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Timothy C. Fitzbag Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Eric Keith Folia Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Thomas George Goodwin FL Putnam Investment Management

Torrey Leslie Greene Lincoln Financial Securities

Edward John Hickey Jr. Eagle Point Investment Advisors

Christopher John June Sweeney Financial Management

Drew Dawson Kellner Lumbard & Kellner

Sarah W. Kenda Financial Strategies Retirement Partners

Robert James Kennelly Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Douglas Elliott Kerr Investmark

Kevin Leland Kimball Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Stephen Michael Lamoureux Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

David Britt Lanzillo Robbins Farley

Elisabeth Margaret Larson Edward Jones

Gregory R. Mason Mason Financial Group

Jean Marie Mathieu Legacy Financial Solutions

Stephen Norman Mathieu Legacy Financial Solutions

David Harold McLaughlin Nutfield Financial Services Ltd

Seth Patrick McNally Morgan Stanley

Joseph Vincent Meo Merrill Lynch

Lynn Marie Munoz Mariner Private Wealth Mangement

Doug Andrew Nelson Sunpointe Investments

Karen Anne O’Donoghue Beck Bode LLC

Joseph George Okeefe Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Andrea Anne Riley Arnesen Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Lewis Shearin Morgan Stanley

Mary Vinodhini Smith Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Kevin Charles Soles KCS Advisors, LLC

Thomas Edward Space Advisors Financial Planning Group

Clifton Roy Spinney Wells Fargo Advisors

Lawrence Lambert Streb Merrill Lynch

Joseph Suozzo Eagle Point Investment Advisors

Mary Gail Sycamore Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Gregory Michael Vallee Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mark Daniel Whitney

When

This award was issued on 09/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 12/12/2023 through 07/09/2024. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Selfcompleted questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1,094 New Hampshire-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 87 (8% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers.

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 New Hampshire-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

Calendar

HAPPENINGS FOR OCTOBER

FEATURED

EVENT

October 12-13

Lakes Region Parade of Homes Tour > This local home show and design tour is a beloved annual Lakes Region tradition. The self-guided tour features stunning, professionally designed new and renovated homes in Lakes Region communities. Attendees can also meet the talented builders while learning about the newest trends, products and techniques. Tickets are $20. lakesregionparadeofhomes.com

October 5

8th Annual Mount Sunapee Duck Drop > Northcape Design Build is proud to be back for the 8th annual Duck Drop at Mount Sunapee Resort on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with awards at 3 p.m. See you on the lift as we toss ducks, win prizes and raise money, all for wonderful charities. All proceeds will be donated to participating charities. Prices vary. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury. (603) 763-2477; nhduckdrop.com

October 5

12th Annual Powderkeg Beer & Chili Festival > Beer, chili and a crisp fall Saturday — will that trio ever go out of style? At this 12-year-old festival, sample brews from over 50 breweries and cideries, and eat to your heart’s content from the dozen-plus chili competitors. Don’t forget to cast your vote: The winner at this contest is selected via the people’s choice. Prices vary. noon to 4 p.m. Swasey Parkway, downtown Exeter. powderkegbeerfest.com

October 6

NAMIWalks New Hampshire > NAMIWalks is the state’s largest mental-health awareness and suicide prevention event. Every fall, thousands of Granite Staters lace up their sneakers and walk together through the city of Concord to stomp out the stigma and unite under the rallying call: Mental Health for All! 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Soccer Fields on S. Fruit St., Concord. namiwalks.org

October 8-10

Fairy and Hobbit House Festival > On this last opportunity to tour the grounds at Bedrock Gardens before it closes for the season, families can enjoy lunch and then meander along the trails to admire the designer fairy houses or wander to the Gnome Depot, where you can build your own fairy house along the trail. With plenty of whimsical activities, this is sure to be a magical weekend. Bedrock Gardens, 19 High Road, Lee. (603) 659-2993; bedrockgardens.org

October 11-13

77th Annual Warner Fall Foliage Festival > If you’re a lover of fall in New England, this is the event for you. The best part? It is all free. Come and celebrate the rural life and vibrant foliage at this family-friendly community festival. Three days of events include a lineup of open-air concerts, a 5K road race, a kids’ fun run and dance party, street performers, food, amusement rides and so much more. Friday, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown Warner. wfff.org

October 12 - 14

Monadnock Art Tour > The Monadnock Art Tour is the oldest and largest artist studio tour in New Hampshire. It occurs annually in October, with 81 participating artists and 65 inspiring studios in wonderful locations. This is a great chance to visit studios in Dublin, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Peterborough and Sharon. monadnockart.org

October 19

Waterfall Photography Workshop at Castle in the Clouds > Learn the most efficient ways to use your DSLR or smartphone to capture the light, texture and color of moving water. Play with composition instructed by Matt Cohen. Workshop takes place at the beautiful Castle in the Clouds “Brook Walk” 1-mile trail with viewpoints of seven waterfalls. $75. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Castle in the Clouds, 455 Old Mountain Road, Moultonborough. chocoruaartworks.com

October 19

Howl-o-Ween 5K > Awooo! Join the Animal Rescue League of NH for thier annual Howl-oWeen fundraising 5K. This dog (and human family) friendly 5K will be held at the Delta Dental Stadium. Costumes are encouraged while you run or walk to raise money for the Animal Rescue League of NH. This is their largest fundraising event of the year, and helps the Animal Rescue League of NH continue to provide shelter and love to pets in need. $20-$60. 10 a.m. Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester. rescueleague.org

Submit events eight weeks in advance to Elisa Gonzales Verdi at egonzalesverdi@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.

Furry Companion

Golden retriever spreads sunshine to seniors at Manchester nursing homes

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS

Cooper, an 8-year-old golden retriever, spends time each month roaming the halls of Mount Carmel and St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Centers in search of seniors willing to give him pets and love.

He doesn’t have to walk too far to find residents anxious to pat his head and shower him with affection. Sometimes he does tricks, showing his paw or lying down

on command, in exchange for treats. But most of the time, he visits those who might miss their own pets and enjoy some furry companionship.

“The residents are always happy when Cooper comes in. They look forward to his visits so much,” says Barbara Gray, director of life enrichment services at Mount Carmel. “One resident always has popcorn waiting to give Cooper, and others can’t wait

to give him some good petting. So many residents have had dogs in their lives, and for the dog lovers, Cooper brings so much comfort to them. He brings back so many memories of the dogs that they had, and they love to share those stories. Our pet cat, who lives on one of our units, even enjoys Cooper.”

Mount Carmel is a 120-bed facility that includes long-term care, rehabilitation services and a dementia unit. Cooper happily visits every floor. Bibiana Rummler, location manager at McHugh Funeral Home in Manchester, escorts Cooper throughout the building as a volunteer.

She first discovered her dog had a gift for making people feel calm and happy after watching how he interacted with staff and visitors at the funeral home.

“Even as a puppy, he wasn’t very energetic. He’s more of a couch potato kind of dog. I used to bring him to the funeral home every week to get him used to people and strangers,” she says. “He just developed this very nice personality where he gets along with everyone. When we take him to the dog park, he plays with the people, not with the dogs.”

Rummler got Cooper from a breeder in Vermont when he was just 9 weeks old. He’s never been formally trained as a comfort dog, but his kind, gentle demeanor made him a perfect pet therapy candidate. Cooper started visiting Mount Carmel in 2018, and became the residence’s first comfort dog. He took a break during the pandemic but resumed his visits in 2022.

“I knew the activities director at Mount Carmel Nursing Home, Barbara Gray. I did an activity there with some of the residents. And then one day I asked, ‘What do you think if I was to bring Cooper to visit the residents? He’s a golden retriever, very friendly, very social. What do you think of that? Is that something that you would allow?’ And she said, ‘I don’t see why not,’ ” Rummler says.

Not only is Cooper fun to pet, but he improves the quality of life of the seniors he meets. Gray says Mount Caramel staff see the benefits of having comfort animals in a nursing home environment, including some of the medical benefits that come with pet therapy.

According to a white paper published by Pet Partners, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve human health and wellbeing through the human-animal bond, studies have shown therapy animals used

Bibiana Rummler and Cooper pay a visit to Mount Carmel Nursing Home.

in medical settings correlate with the following effects:

• Decreased perceptions of pain

• Improved recovery rates

• Decreased anxiety and stress

• Less fear and worry in patients

• Improved biobehavioral markers of stress

Gray suggests that any senior care facility looking to bring in comfort dogs should ensure that pets’ shots are up to date, screen for pet friendliness, and watch for negative behaviors, such as jumping. The Association of Animal Intervention Professionals also provides safety guidelines for senior care homes looking to integrate therapy animals into their activities.

Cooper’s success at Mount Carmel got him an invitation to brighten the lives of St. Teresa residents. Administrator Rory Blinn says the facility’s 51 residents look forward to interacting with him each month.

Earlier this year, St. Teresa recognized Cooper for his efforts at a Volunteer Appreciation Day. He received a tuxedo bib, homemade ice cream and a certificate of appreciation.

“Residents with Alzheimer’s disease touch him and feel the love he gives off. It doesn’t matter how far along they are in (their disease) progression, they still get the same joy, like a kid,” Blinn says.

Rummler says it’s well worth taking the extra time to ensure Cooper makes his monthly rounds, and he enjoys it, too.

“There are residents who have dementia and maybe are not very vocal anymore. And when they touch Cooper, they smile, and they won’t say anything, but they smile, and it’s just like … oh, I get chills, and so many times it’s hard to hold back tears when you see them so happy,” she says. NH

Presenting Sponsor:

Cooper is always ready to give comfort and affection.

The Lights Can Always Shine

By the end of September, I’m outside stringing lights. In our garage, we have every different shade, from reds and greens to the icicle blues and twinkling yellows to orange and black. We have strings, nets, gutter hangers and long rolls on thick plastic spools. We have those spinning ones that clamp onto the fence. We have the electric ones that look like flames. We have walking pumpkins that light up, and a large spider with moving legs and shimmering eyes.

Autumn in our home is a different sort of celebration. You see, we try to celebrate everything. When my daughter was born nearly 10 years ago, to a Polish dad and a Nepalese mom, we had a choice. Let her grow up free of both sides of the culture, or give her all of it. We chose all of it.

So now, our holiday season begins in early October, with the lights and candles foretelling the coming of Deshain, the victory of good over evil. The year will slide into black cats and orange bulbs as my daughter and her friends turn up the scare factor a notch. Not long after, the home is aglow with every light we have to trumpet in Diwali, the holiday of lights, and pilots can see our house! Soon arrives the gratefulness

of Thanksgiving, and then the chaos of Christmas where we first welcome our Elf on a Shelf, Tutu, into our abode, and then the trappings of stockings and railroad trains. After all that, New Year feels passive and intimate.

But there’s more! You see those colors — those lights — are perfect for birthdays as well, and it just so happens that my wife’s birthday hits in early November, while Little Bean’s falls right around Christmas.

And me? Well, I’m an early February birthday, so the ladies offer to keep the lights up until then, five solid months, a grand slide from autumn to winter with the home and our hearts ablaze in color.

I remember the beginning of all this. When Little Bean was a tot, barely old enough to speak, we had surprised her by stringing lights up in the kitchen, a spoke of lights extending from the middle bulb to all corners. The ceiling looked like a colorful wagon wheel. We turned off the lights and waited for her to step into the kitchen.

“Oh my God,” my tiny daughter had exclaimed, the proclamation so direct and funny that we just burst into laughter instead of scolding her language. She spent the next 20 minutes wandering around the

kitchen, looking up, grinning.

And so began our lighting adventures. A few at first, an acknowledgment rather than an explosion. But soon it grew. First, we’d teach her about each holiday, a practice that continues today. If we’re going to celebrate it, she should know what it means and where it all falls in the timeline of her parents. We’ll blanket her with tradition and family lore from every corner of our worlds.

She’ll be a child of colorful lights and the stories that go with them. And we’d make our own stories as well. Instead of the fall being a closure, the season would welcome our perpetual glow. The lights could show the way — of pumpkin and cider and treats and tricks, all under the bright lights of tradition and celebration.

Meanwhile, as long as the lights are here and as long as we’re zooming into the holiday season and the new year, I may pitch the ladies of the house on a new idea this year. Why not keep the lights up until the next holiday, Valentine’s Day? Or maybe even further. When’s Easter?

Maybe it can always be a holiday season. Maybe the lights can always herald in the next occasion, and maybe my daughter’s eyes can always glow in the twinkling light. NH

BY DAN SZCZESNY / ILLUSTRATION BY PETER NOONAN

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